He was hopelessly, irrevocably in love with her. With every breath, with every glance, with every beat of his heart, he adored her — and above all else, he cherished bringing her joy. To see the spark ignite in her eyes, the way her lips curled into a smile touched with disbelief; to feel the warmth of her kisses on his skin, each one a delicate promise, whispered between quiet thank-yous — that was his heaven. And the knowledge that he was the one who put that light in her eyes? The most exquisite feeling the world could offer.

That morning, they had slipped out together to the store. Dean was still dead asleep at the motel, recovering from the brutal hunt the night before, leaving them a rare pocket of peace. As they strolled down the quiet street, they passed a crumbling building — its facade plastered with fading posters for a band he’d never heard of. But he noticed the way her eyes widened with sudden wonder. And in that moment, he knew. He didn’t even have to think.

He would never regret the choice he made then — not for a single heartbeat. Not when Dean grumbled about staying another day in that godforsaken town, not when the very thought of a noisy, crowded venue made his skin crawl. Because her laughter — that bright, unrestrained sound that burst out when he placed those secretly bought tickets in her hands — made every inconvenience dissolve. Her unhidden delight as she picked out her outfit, every tender glance she cast his way... it was enough to silence the rest of the world.

And so they stood, side by side, swallowed by the dark and pulsing noise of a packed club. The lights flashed blindingly at intervals, the bass thundered in his skull, and voices shouted all around — but he kept his hands anchored firmly on her hips, unwilling to let her drift even an inch away in the tide of people pressing from every side. His height, the breadth of his shoulders, made him a shield — and he used it to guard her from every stray elbow, every careless dancer who got too close, all so she could keep dancing without a care, swaying sweetly, singing along with radiant abandon.

She was stunning, enchanting — utterly lost in the music, hips swaying, clapping after every song, bouncing on her toes with joy that was impossible not to love. And he would have endured anything — anything this cruel, chaotic world had to offer — just to witness that smile bloom on her lips, again and again, for the rest of his life.