Secrets and Camera Flashes

Chapter 69 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

A/N I have been having the shittiest of weeks this week and honestly there is nothing better than taking a break after three consecutive hours of homework for the chance to just sit alone in my dorm room and listen to Misha Collins be the cutest lil dad on the planet so may I present to you (as seen above): Misha's full panel from today uploaded by yours truly

Dean wakes up to a pounding headache, and, just like he has every December 26 for years, he regrets drinking as much as he did last night. Fortunately, he wasn't blackout drunk; he was just too drunk to think things through.

He still remembers all of last night. He remembers taking way too many shots during Never Have I Ever. He remembers Charlie gaining his respect during Truth or Dare. He remembers Spin the Bottle...

He remembers kissing Cas during Spin the Bottle...

That was stupid. Even for drunk Dean, that was stupid. Cas wasn't even playing the game. He wouldn't have dragged anyone else into it. Why did he think it was okay to drag Cas in? And Jo was right there, too. He made out with Jo's crush right in front of her. He feels bad enough going behind her back with him, but that was too far.

... It was a really good kiss, though.

Dean forces himself to sit up and face the day, if only because he wants some Advil. Jo groans and covers her head with her pillow, and Dean is torn between laughing or feeling sorry for her. He thought he had it bad, but he's had years to build up an alcohol tolerance. Jo's 23 and, like, 110 pounds. Drinking has to hit her harder.

"'Morning, sunshine," Dean says in a jokingly condescending way, as if he's not also suffering from a splitting headache. "Want me to bring you some Advil?"

Jo just groans again, which is a good enough answer for him. He heads out to the kitchen, and the blinding light doesn't help his head in the slightest. His dad and Ellen are already up and sharing a coffee at the kitchen table. Dean ignores them and heads straight for the cabinet.

"Rough night?" Ellen asks teasingly.

"I want to die," Dean deadpans. He grabs the bottle of Advil and a couple of cups. As he's filling them with water, he asks, "Is anyone else up?"

"Just you," John says. "Enjoy the quiet while it lasts."

"Trust me, I will," Dean mutters.

He pops a few Advil tablets in his mouth and takes the rest back to Jo's room with a cup of water. He closes the door behind them, trying to block out as much unnecessary light as possible.

"I brought you some drugs," Dean tells her.

Jo pushes the pillow off her face but she doesn't open her eyes. "Will they kill me? Because if not, I don't want them."

Dean chuckles. "No, but they'll hopefully make you want to die just a little bit less."

Jo groans. "Fine." She sits up and rubs her eyes. "Last night was a bad idea."

"It always is," Dean says. "So, we're still on for some drinking games next Christmas, right?"

Jo just snatches the bottle from him without a word, and Dean would absolutely be laughing at her if it wouldn't hurt so much.

She takes her pills, then downs the rest of the water in one swig. She puts the cup down on her bedside table before burying her head in her hands. "How much of last night do you remember?"

"I think I remember all of it," Dean says, though if he's forgotten anything, he doesn't remember forgetting it. "You?"

"Bits and pieces," she replies. "Like I remember that Cas didn't play any of the games with us. That sucked."