Dean squeezed a bit of the shampoo onto the top of her head, not quite sure how much to use. He then began gently lathering, trying to make sure if she had any wounds on her head that he didn’t irritate them further. He also couldn’t help leaning down to kiss along the back of her neck, in spite of the soap that ended up in his mouth.

He smiled softly against the back of her neck, “If I’m honest, I didn’t expect to be this calm. But you also know I have always come to bat for you, regardless of how bad it hurt or I had to hurt someone…to think that I have hurt you…”

He choked down the pain in his throat that threatened tears again. 

“You have done some horrible shit. But…I’m so sorry about what happened when we were in Minnesota a couple of years ago. I dream about it every night…and now that I know, I can’t…”

He shuddered and kissed her shoulder again, picking up the sponge and pouring water over her head to begin rinsing the shampoo out.