Before Everything [Book 2.5]

Chapter One: Americano

A/N: Lo and behold, the first chapter of the much-awaited story of Dean (or at least I hope you were waiting for it...). Hello everyone, I'm back! I hope each and every single one of you enjoys this story. If you do, please give it a vote and comment. I love reading comments and seeing you reacting to stuff! I'll try to reply to anything I can, and if you want to talk privately about anything, my messages are open and I'm here to talk to.

"So, would you like to come over to my place later and watch a movie?"

"Eh... yeah, that sounds nice..." Dean replied, shifting the phone from his left ear to his right. Oh, he needed to talk to Mark about this.

"Great! Then I'll text you the address. How about sevenish... to eight?" Ethan asked back.

"Yeah... I'm free then," Dean muttered and heard the doorbell ring. "Hold on a second," he told Ethan over the line.

He opened the door and came face to face with Thomas. Distress was clear in his features and Dean pulled back confused, letting Thomas walk inside. He quietly watched as Thomas mechanically went and sat down by the couch, not for a second looking over at Dean.

"Dean?" Ethan called out from the phone.

"I'm sorry," Dean immediately said. "Something came up. Well, um... We'll talk later, okay?" he went on and closed the door.

"Okay, yeah. We'll talk later," Ethan muttered back and hung up.

"Thomas?" Dean said, walking closer to him and putting his phone in his back pocket.

"I broke up with Mark," Thomas uttered out of breath.

Dean had to blink many times in order to process what Thomas had just told him. He broke up with Mark. He broke up with Mark. What had happened since yesterday? What had brought this on? Dean sat on the armchair close to Thomas and opened his mouth to speak up when Thomas hid his face in his palms.

"I broke up with him," he repeated, his voice muffled. The way he spoke out the words made it sound as if the weight of them just now landed on him.

"Why?" Dean softly said. Thomas snapped his head up, tears in his eyes.

"What do you mean why?" he all but growled. Then a sob cracked his voice. "I didn't have another choice..."

"Because of the offer you got?"

"Well, yes... but also," Thomas paused and rubbed his eyes to clear his sight. He recollected his thoughts, defaulting back to the same old mantra. "I am just now building up my future. Breaking up with him was the only option that I had. Our relationship was doomed from the day it was formed."

"Who told you that?" Dean asked with knitted eyebrows.

"Nobody had to tell me that," Thomas said. "Mark and I just weren't meant to last."

Dean nodded and bit his lip, not really sure what to say. He could tell that Thomas hated the words he was uttering, but at the same time, it also looked like he genuinely believed them. Eventually, Dean let out a heavy exhale and leaned forward.

"You know what's best for you. If it wasn't meant to be, then it wasn't meant to be," Dean said and tried to smile at Thomas.

"Sorry for barging in like this. I just- I got home... he drove me home before I ended things and Dad was at work and Mom was at Abi's helping her out and I was alone. And I couldn't take it," Thomas said and scratched the back of his neck.

"Nah, it's fine. I get it, you don't have to apologize," Dean dismissed.

"Who were you on the phone with? When I came in?" Thomas asked, changing the subject. Dean opened his mouth, but before he answered he thought about it for a second.