#AsianLove

By some miracle, Los Angeles is not a blistering, sun-drenched hell of bumper-to-bumper traffic interspersed with the odd motorcyclist dying in head-to-toe leather – he makes it to Teri's in decent time, if you can call an hour decent. It occurs to him when he pulls into her driveway that he doesn't actually know what to say here. He had been motivated largely by his best friend's teasing and the way Christopher had spurred Stephen on but now that he's here – he doesn't have a clue what to say.

He tips forward to bang his forehead on the steering wheel, only looking up when he hears a tap on his windshield.

Dammit.

Teri.

She is standing outside of his truck, shoulder shuddering in laughter, a bright smile illuminating her entire being. She is clearly very amused by his actions – despite how unimpressed he currently is with his self. Well, there is clearly no getting out of it, now. He turns the key, listening to the engine's growl quieten until the silence is deafening, and he is forced to face her.

"So," she begins, when the door opens, and he slides out of the truck. "Why were trying to give yourself a head injury?"

He does not mean what happens – truly, he doesn't, but she looks so damn cute standing there in cut-off shorts and a loose t-shirt representing whatever sports team she's rooting for, these days. There is a blue marlin arcing across her chest so maybe it's a tourist t-shirt, not a sports shirt. It does not really matter because she's standing there with her arms across her chest, brown hair piled high on top of her head, and her big brown eyes staring up at him, imploring and innocent, but so, so wicked when she wants them to be.

"Did you know that I love you?" he can feel the control slipping out of his hands disturbingly quick; his self-control is much like everything in his life, alarmingly fluid, and able to slip through his fingers the second he is put on the spot. "I mean, I know I tell you I love you all the time, but I mean I'm in love with you and this is not how I wanted this to go but there it is. I know I say you were married and twenty whatever years ago, yeah, you were, but you are not anymore. At least, I don't think so. I think you would have told me if you were – "

It takes everything in Teri not to laugh at his words. Not that she takes his confession lightly – actually, she's feeling rather warm and open to that one, but he's freaking out. She sees that, now. She hadn't realized he'd shown up to confess his feelings when she teased him about banging his head against the steering wheel. But here he is, confessing his feelings, and turning redder by the minute.

" – And, I just – "

"Dean!" she finally interrupts with a sharp bark of his name, grabbing him by the arms to settle him. It takes everything in her to pin him to the truck but she manages. "Baby, I need to you stop and take a breath. Breathe. In. Out." she encourages the inhalation of as much oxygen as he can manage, while she keeps him lightly pressed against his truck. "Good. Again. In. Out."

While he focuses on reining in his breathing, and subsequently his nerves, she waits patiently for him to settle as much as he can. When he's finally calm, sort of, she tightens her grip on his arms and tilts forward onto her tiptoes, offering him a soft warning, "I'm going to kiss you, now."

Dean just makes a vaguely feral noise, something like a growl and a whine, because while normally, he was quite good at keeping his cool – this isn't that time. He'd shown up rather nervous and slightly irritated at himself for even waiting this long to begin with and now she's there, pressed up against him, pinning him to his truck and damn does she smell good.

"Breathe, baby. I can't kiss you if you pass out." Teri reminds him gently, releasing one of his arms to playfully poke him in the ribs. "Exhale, baby. In and out." When the held tension in his diaphragm releases, she smiles and catches his mouth in a kiss before he can think himself out of it; groans and whimpers escape both of them when she leans up into it, pulling him deeper into the kiss as he wraps his arms around her and fastens her against him.

"You should have done that sooner," Teri breathes, though it is a struggle after feeling she's had the life kissed out of her. "I should have done that sooner. We should have done that sooner."

"I agree." Dean laughs, pressing his forehead against hers. "I do love you, though. I fell in love with you a long time ago. I'm just sorry it took me so long."

On that note, Teri pulls away, and lands a sharp blow to his bicep with her balled fist, glaring at him when he yelps and tries to jump away from her. "Hey!" he finally protests when he realizes there's no escape route. "What was that for?"

"That was for being an idiot," she sinks another punch into his ribs, this time, barely felt because she doesn't have much behind it. "And that is for being an idiot for twenty years."

"I didn't exactly see you jumping to tell me your feelings for me, Miss Hatcher!" Dean spreads his fingers along her ribs, tickling her lightly before pulling away – he doesn't care to feel her wrath, again.

Teri just shrugs and lets herself tilt back into him until he's falling back against the truck and wrapping his arms around her to keep them both semi-upright. "Does it matter, anymore?"

"Not to me." Dean laughs, leaning down to kiss her, again. "I may never live this down with Stephen."

She giggles, kissing him briefly before pulling back to whisper something in his ear.

"Hashtag Asian love."