Poison

“I was poison to her!” Dean bellowed loudly. The sound of smashing glass could be heard as the bottle he held in hand flew from his grasp, shattering against the wall. “I am poison! She needs to stay away from me, Bobby! ‘Cause if she doesn't, she's gonna end up dead.” The green eyed hunter shook his head, his voice thick with emotion. “Everyone I know ends up dead.”

“Boy,” Bobby started, his voice angry. He stalked toward Dean, grabbing the young man by the collar of his shirt, fisting the material in his clenched hands. “You listen to me, damn it! My daughter loves you, you stupid sonuvabitch!” He then shook Dean, the younger man grasping at Bobby's hands, trying, and failing, to release himself from the older man's grasp. “My girl, she sees the good in everybody, and you know that! That girl, she knew what she had gotten herself into when she signed up to travel with you boys! She knew what she was getting herself into when she made the dumbass decision to fall in love with you!” Bobby then pushed Dean away from him, the younger man stumbling back and falling against the wall.

He looked at Bobby, seeing the anger in his eyes, and he knew that the older man had every right to be. Dean had fallen in love with the older man's daughter, taken her across the country with his brother and himself, hunting. And at the first sign of the young woman being put in danger, placed in a magically induced coma, forgetting who she was, what she did, and who Dean and Sam were, he ran.

“She remembers everything, no thanks to you!” Bobby bellowed. “Sam didn't give up on her! And don't try to pull that crap that she could've gotten outta this life!” Bobby grabbed Dean once more, slamming him against the wall. “If Ed wanted out, she'd get out on her own! But she stays for a reason, damn it!”

Dean pushed Bobby off of him, glaring at the older man. “What reason?” he bellowed. “To save lives? To stay close to you? Avenge her mom?” He then lowered his voice, asking Bobby with a deadly glare, “What reason, would someone so pure and innocent, have to keep hunting? To stay in this life?”

Bobby shook his head, his eyes full of pity. “You seriously don't know?” he asked. He then ran a hand over his face, muttering at how the green eyed hunter was an idjit. “She stays because of you, Dean,” Bobby explained.

Dean stopped short, looking at Bobby with wide, questioning eyes. “What?” he asked in disbelief. “Me?”

Bobby nodded. “Yes, you,” he said. “Like I said, my girl knew who she was dancing with, but she chose to look past your namesake, Winchester.” Dean noticed the way Bobby seemed to emphasise his last name, but said nothing. “That girl, she blindfolds herself from all the evil and bad shit in this world,” he explained. He gave a rueful chuckle then. “Her soul’s so damn, iunno, pure, that Lucifer ‘imself probably wouldn't touch her.”

Bobby shook his head before his gaze landed in Dean once more. He could see that his words were beginning to sink in, that he was making progress.

“I won't lie to ya, boy,” Bobby said. “I wanted my girl to find a normal man, settle down and live a safe, normal life.” He heaved a sigh. “But she chose you. And I know how you can be with women, and I didn't want that for my girl. But, I saw how happy she was with you,” he told Dean, a small smile on his face. “And I saw how you took care of her, protected her, loved her. She was always so happy when she was with you, Dean. And you walked away from her at her weakest moment.” His eyes then hardened once more, glaring at Dean. “You walked away from her when she needed you most. You left her!”

“Because I'm gonna be the reason she gets killed!” Dean yelled out. “I'm not gonna watch her die because some monster is after me! I'm not gonna put her danger just to be selfish!”

“Selfish?!” Bobby asked. “Boy, you really are nine kinds’a stupid, ain’t’cha?!” He slammed his fist on the table, anger coursing through him. “You ain't bein’ selfish by staying with her! You're just being a coward by walking away!”

Dean made to reply, to rebuke Bobby's statement, but he stopped at the sound of soft footsteps, and a sweet voice could be heard.

“Papa bear?” Eden asked, her voice wavering just the slightest, as her blue eyes darted between the two men. “Why’re you and Dean yelling?”

Bobby sighed, looking from Dean to Eddie. She looked so tired, broken. Her eyes, usually so bright and full of life, were dull and dim. Her hair had lost its luster, hanging limply down her back, unbrushed and in a tangled mess. She wore a simple grey tank top with black sweat pants, her feet bare.

“No reason, bear cub,” Bobby spoke to his daughter, coming to stand before her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning over and kissing her forehead. “Go back upstairs and get some rest.”

Eddie shook her head. “I wanna talk to him,” she told her father, her eyes never leaving Dean.

Dean was heartbroken at the sight of her. She had lost the light in her blue eyes, her usually tanned skin was a sickly pale in color. Her cheeks were no longer a soft, rosy pink and her hair was a mess. She looked thinner, sicker. And yet, he still found her to be beautiful in every way.

“Eddie,” he spoke softly. He took a step toward her, then stopped. He shook his head, turning away. “I don't wanna talk to you,” he said, fighting an internal battle.

“Too bad,” she spoke softly, unable to muster up the strength to yell. She was too tired, the depression draining her. “‘Cause I have a lot that I have to say to you.” She then turned to her dad, nodding her head.

Bobby sighed, nodding in return. “Alright,” he spoke. He then grabbed Eddie's hand, placing a fatherly kiss to her head, before letting go and walking out of the room.

Eddie looked away from her father's retreating form, her gaze landing on Dean. She walked slowly, moving toward him. Dean could see her struggling, and he watched with a heavy heart as she shuffled slowly to him.

She finally made it to Dean, neither one breaking eye contact with the other, as she stood before him. Up close, he could see that her face was slightly sunken in. She looked sick, broken. And Dean had no one to blame but himself.

Eddie took a deep breath. “You left me,” she spoke, tears in her eyes. “You walked away from me when I needed you most. Sam kept trying, never gave up on me. But you,” she paused, choking back a sob. “You walked away.”

“I wanted you to have a better life,” Dean explained. He placed his hand on her arm, wincing when she pulled away from him.

“Don't touch me,” she ground out, her voice thick with emotion. “And don't feed me that bullshit, Dean. You know, as well as I do, that if I really wanted a normal life, I'd have it.” She shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks. “But I never wanted a normal life, Dean. All I ever wanted was you.”

The green eyed man could feel his heart breaking all over again as he looked at the sobbing woman. He had always hated when Eddie cried. It was his greatest weakness.

“I did it because I was afraid,” he whispered, hesitantly bringing his hand to her face. He could feel his heart lift, just the slightest, when she leaned into his touch, his thumb wiping away her tears.

“Afraid of what?” she asked. Her blue eyes locked onto his green ones, and he could see the curiosity in her intense gaze.

Her eyes always made him want to spill his darkest secrets.

Dean sighed heavily, pulling Eddie close and pressing his forehead against hers. He breathed in her scent, smiling as she still smelled of strawberries and coconuts. He pressed his lips to the crown of her head, heaving a heavy sigh.

“I'm afraid to lose you,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I'm so afraid, everyday we hunt, that I'm gonna lose you. And I can't survive it. I won't, Ed.” He breathed her in, holding her tightly as she sobbed into his chest. “I love you, Ed. And it scares me how much I love you, how far I'm willing to go for you.” He leaned down, pulling away and looking at her. “I'm so scared because of the effect you have on me. Because I'm willing to kill and die for you.”

Eddie let her tears roll silently down her cheeks, Dean's calloused hands cupping her face and wiping them away. “I'm scared too,” she admitted. “I'm scared of losing you. But I'm more afraid of you leaving me, not loving me the way I love you.”

“Baby girl,” he spoke. “I love you more than anything. Anything in this world.” He gathered her into his arms once more, shushing her cries, kissing away her tears. “I'm so sorry, baby. I know that I said I did it to protect you, but I did it to protect myself.”

“You idiot,” Eddie cried, clutching his shirt, holding him close. “Just stay with me. Please?”

Dean held her as close as possible, letting a single tear fall down his cheek. “Anything you want, cherry pie. I'll stay with you, and I'll never leave you again.” He kissed the top of her head, rubbing soothing circles on her back. “I'll always be here, baby. Always.”

Bobby stood in the doorway, a small smile on his face as he watched Dean hold Eddie close, shushing her cries as he apologized profusely. “Damn idjits,” he muttered to himself, shaking his head with a smile. “Took ‘em long enough.”

Eddie held tightly to Dean, terrified to let him go. She had spent months without him, without his arms around her, his fingers running through her hair, and his lips pressed to hers. So she held onto him for dear life, unwilling to let him go again.

As Dean held a sobbing Eddie, he looked over he shoulder to see Bobby. The older man had a small smile on his face which in turn, caused Dean to smile as well. He nodded at the young woman's father, Bobby nodding back, before burying his nose in Eddie's hair. He inhaled her scent, committing it to memory and reveling in the familiarity of it. Her scent had always calmed him, soothed him right down to his soul.

“Let's go to bed,” Dean spoke softly. “You look dead on your feet, and I just wanna hold you.” Eddie just nodded, but made no indication of moving. The green eyed hunter smiled before scooping her into his arms, bridal style. He then carried her up the stairs and to her bedroom.

Without dropping her, Dean opened her bedroom door, closing it behind him with his foot. He then placed Eddie on her bed, laying down next to her. He then pulled her close to him, her face buried in the crook of his neck, her arms around his shoulders. Dean's arms were wrapped tightly around her waist, keeping her as close to him as he could.

“Don't leave me again,” Eddie whimpered quietly, almost inaudibly.

Dean kissed her head, cheeks, and the tip of her nose. His eyes bore into her blue ones and he could see a spark of life ignite within them. “I promise, Ed,” he told her. He then leaned in, closing the small gap between them, and pressed his lips to hers.

In the months he had spent without her, he felt as though he were in Heaven at this one moment in time. The feel of her warm body pressed against his, her hands holding his cheeks gently, and her lips molded against his own, was intoxicating. It made him wonder why he ever left in the first place. Why he had given up on something, and someone, so amazing. And it was in that moment that Dean swore to himself he would never leave her again.

Eden Singer was his happiness. His safety, crutch, and warmth. She was his smile and laughter and heart. If not for her, Sam, and Bobby, he would have given in a long time ago. But as he pulled away from the soft, lingering kiss, and looked into her eyes once again, he knew that this right here, was his reason for living and dying. And he'd be damned if he ever let her go again.