Chapter 7

Four Years To Go

Dean Winchester leaned up against his Impala and tried not to smile at the woman before him. He was still raw from fighting with Sam and the memory of his little brother taking off (again) because of something he did made him ache. Dean had definitely been around the block when it came to women, but this one caught him off guard. It's like she was a magnet and his body took over, wanting to be as physically close to her as possible.

He glanced up at the group of hunters he had run into during the sweep of the old house down in Hesper, smiling lightly. He knew that this was the girl that Santiago had brought up a few days back. Dean shrugged him off then, trying to avoid getting locked back into his hometown with someone he didn't know. He liked staying focused before a hunt and the female body distracted him in a way that did not bode well for his concentration.

"How do you know Santiago and the guys?" Dean asked, pulling his arms away from his body to support his weight on the hood of his car. "You don't look like you belong in a crowd like that one."

Grace glanced back at Santiago and his cousins. "We go way back," she explained, stepping closer to Dean. "We're all in the same business."

Dean felt himself lift his eyelids just enough to gaze into her blue eyes. "You're a hunter," he stated, not wasting any time.

"Once upon a time," she answered, taking another agonizing step. He licked his lips and swallowed hard, trying his best to push away the lust that rolled through him. "We're trying to get out," she continued, gesturing backwards towards the little brunette that arrived with her. "Only take jobs close to home."

Dean licked his lips and leaned forward slightly. "I'm Dean," he said, finally giving in. She was saying all the right things and he couldn't help the hand that reached out to shake hers.

She took a deep breath as she glanced at his hand. Gabriel took and involuntary step towards the couple, standing just outside of the light that shone down from the overhead fluorescents and grimaced. This was usually the most difficult part of their initial meet. Grace still hesitated taking on physical contact because she hated being shoved into the subconscious thoughts of the person she touched. "Oh, come on," he moaned. "Just do it already."

Eros appeared next to Gabriel and stood, pressing his lips together in a tight, disapproving glare. "They meet naturally in four more years. Why can't you just wait it out?"

"You were all go, no quit not too long ago," Gabriel said, not glancing up at his friend. "A Grean Groupie, for sure."

"Grean? What is Grean?"

"Grace and Dean's 'ship name," Gabriel whined, staring at Eros. "I thought it was clever." He tilted his head and thought momentarily. "Is Drace better?"

Eros ignored him and shook his head. "We're hearing a lot of things about them," he explained as he watched Dean open the passenger door to the Impala and gestured for Grace to get in. "More rumors. Nothing confirmed."

Gabriel nodded. "That's why I wanted them to be together now. So much less complicated. They can just screw without worrying about their fate."

Grace leaned forward as Dean whispered something in her ear. She smiled, looking down at the ground and shook her head, gesturing towards the restaurant. "What did he say?" Eros asked, leaning forward towards the couple anxiously.

"Grean forever," Gabriel whispered, grinning so that his dimples showed. He chuckled as they watched Dean convince Grace to get in the car with him, opening the door for her and pointing inside while still holding her hand. She gave one last look towards the entrance at the restaurant and sighed, taking out her phone. She tapped out a text and glanced back towards Dean. He leaned towards her, his mouth slightly open, just begging to be kissed.

Grace gave in almost immediately, closing the gap between their faces. She kept her eyes open, staring at his face just long enough for Gabriel to realize that she was surprised that Dean had kept contact with her so that she would be present for the kiss…not having to worry about being shoved back into his subconscious for three seconds while his memories played through her mind.

Eros sighed contentedly. "They're so romantic," he said, his eyes not leaving the couple. "He understands her so well already. It's been what, three minutes?"

Gabriel nodded sadly. "Yeah," he answered, turning to stare at Eros. "And you guys want them to wait."