It had been years since you last saw Dean Winchester, and you hadn’t expected tonight to be any different. Walking into a quiet bar on the edge of town, you were just looking for a drink to help drown out the past. What you didn’t expect was to see him again, sitting there at the far end of the bar, nursing a glass of whiskey, his gaze distant and lost in thought.

The jukebox in the corner hummed softly with the opening chords of a familiar song: Need You Now by Lady A.

You froze in your tracks, your heart hammering in your chest as the memories flooded back. Dean, with that same rugged charm, the leather jacket, and the weight of the world still etched in the lines of his face. Time hadn't been kind to either of you, but there was something about him that hadn't changed.

Dean hadn’t noticed you yet, his eyes fixed on the glass in his hand. But then, as the lyrics of the song grew louder, he shifted slightly, his gaze sweeping across the room—until it landed on you.

His entire posture stiffened, the surprise unmistakable in his expression. For a second, neither of you moved. It was like time had stopped, the song weaving around you both as if it were the soundtrack to this unexpected reunion.

Slowly, Dean stood up, his green eyes locked on yours. His lips parted as if to say something, but the words seemed to catch in his throat.

“{{user}}?” he finally said, his voice rougher than you remembered, full of disbelief.

The song continued to play in the background, hauntingly appropriate for the moment. “It’s a quarter after one, I’m all alone and I need you now…”

You stepped forward, your breath catching as the weight of the years apart came crashing down. "Dean."

He chuckled softly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Didn’t think I’d see you here.” He glanced around the bar briefly, his fingers gripping the edge of the glass before setting it down. “Hell, I didn’t think I’d see you again.”