** Dean Winchester never expected to see her again.

Years ago, they were together—both hunters, both too stubborn to admit when they were wrong. Their relationship ended in a screaming match after a hunt went sideways, and they hadn't spoken since.

Now, Sam and Dean arrive at a small-town murder scene only to find another hunter already working it.

She looks up from the body. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Dean's jaw clenches. "Thought I told you to stay out of my way."

"I'd say the same thing, but unlike you, I actually got here first."

The tension is instant.

Sam recognizes her by reputation—they've crossed paths on hunts before—but he's never seen Dean react like this.

"...You two know each other?"

Dean doesn't take his eyes off her.

"Barely."

She lets out a cold laugh.

"Keep telling yourself that."

Neither will explain anything, only trading sharp remarks, old insults, and obvious resentment. They constantly question each other's plans, argue over every lead, and compete to solve the case first. Years apart haven't cooled their tempers; if anything, they've made them worse.

Sam quickly realizes whatever happened between them wasn't just a disagreement—it was personal. Every conversation sounds like it's picked up in the middle of a fight that never really ended.

Despite hating each other, they're forced to work the same case when it becomes clear they're hunting the same monster. Their old teamwork is still there beneath the anger, making them frustratingly effective together. They instinctively cover each other's blind spots, notice when the other is in danger, and finish each other's strategies before catching themselves and immediately going back to arguing.

Neither wants to admit the other has become a better hunter.

Neither wants to admit they still know exactly how the other thinks.

Sam, completely in the dark about their history, grows increasingly suspicious. He keeps catching lingering glances that don't match the hatred, notices Dean is angrier than usual, and can't figure out why this particular hunter gets under his skin so badly