Author's Note: So guess what, guys? You finally get your fluff. I know you've been waiting for it…

Chapter 11

Bread and Roses Inn

Eureka, CA

4:09 P.M.

October 14, 2005

The hotel was small but comfortable, and a welcome rest from the long harrowing trip on the highway. The weather had turned bad nearly an hour into the drive and traffic had immediately come to a standstill. What should have been a two hour drive had become nearly six and everyone was at their wit's end by the time they made it to the small roadside inn.

The rain beat down outside, a steady rhythm, calming and somehow ominous at the same time. There was a distinct puddle forming outside the window, turning the scraggly looking flowerbed into a swamp. Angela sighed, gathered the files spread before her on the bed, and pulled the blankets up over her legs, shivering a little. There was a knock on the door to the adjoining room a moment later, and she sat up, looking absently out the window.

"It's open."

Constantine breezed in without a word and sat on the bed beside her. Angela gave him a look; he had the distinctly confusing habit of invading her personal space.

"I thought you were asleep," she muttered, looking at the floral pattern on the bedspread. He'd changed into a gray t-shirt and sweat pants, and she bemusedly found herself wondering if he owned any clothes besides this and his perpetual suit, tie, and coat combo.

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"What gave you that idea?"

"I told you to get some rest…you said you would."

He snorted.

"You said you were going to take a nap yourself." He gestured to the papers still partially falling out of the folder on the bed beside her. "Looks like good bedtime reading."

He swung his legs up onto the bed and stretched out on his side, facing her. Angela caught her breath, torn between rolling over and moving closer to him.

"I tried," she muttered at last. "Couldn't sleep."

Constantine smiled grimly at her and leaned up on one elbow so he was practically breathing down her neck. She shivered.

"It's this damn rain. It always makes them louder. Makes the blackness darker." He startled her with a brush of rough fingers on the side of her face, her jaw.

"John?"

He drew back abruptly.

"Sorry."

Angela took hold of his wrist, pulling his hand back toward her. He was right, there was definitely something about the rain that made the shadows in her mind come alive. The aching emptiness that was the memory of Isabel had been nagging at her for the greater part of the afternoon, the pricking phantom of tears at the corners of her eyes.

"Don't be," she said after a moment. She reached up and fingered a rebellious lock of hair that had worked its way into his eyes.

His dark eyes followed her fingers for a moment, then he shook his head and turned away.

"Angela…"

She brushed a finger under his chin and turned his face back toward her, then couldn't manage to find anything to say. Her throat was suddenly painfully tight.

"No, you're right." She sighed. "It's like…everything hurts…deeper now. I feel…empty inside. As soon as the sun goes down I can hear them, whispering in my ear…the minute I let my guard down. Damn it, John, I'm just…so tired."

In one languid, fluid motion, he rolled toward her, took hold of her shoulders, and slipped a leg over her hip. Angela caught her breath, unsure of how to take it. He had never been so blatantly physical before, but he always wanted to be, she could feel it hidden just under the surface of his movements. He leaned in, lips barely brushing her neck as he spoke.

"If I told you you'd get used to it, I'd be lying." He ran a hand through her hair, cupped the back of her neck. "How do you think I got to be such an ass?"

Angela ran a hand across her eyes, fighting tears.

"You're not an ass, John." She laughed, then swallowed hard. "Xavier is an ass."

Constantine snorted and turned his face into her neck again, his breath tickling her ear as he spoke.

"If I'm not an ass…then what am I?"

"You're…" Angela shivered, pushing him back so she could see his face. Somehow she managed to lose her train of thought every time she met his gaze. "…a shit," she managed at last.

He laughed at that, a full-out chest-laugh which ended with a mild fit of coughing. Angela frowned at him.

"I think…" he gasped, "I'd rather be an ass. At least then I'd know you considered me to be sentient."

Angela elbowed him, shaking her head.

"You know I didn't mean it like that." She sighed, falling silent as he ran his fingertips down her bare shoulder and arm. "Why did you come in here? You can't really be that interested in my 'bedtime reading.'"

"Thought you could use some company." Angela narrowed her eyes at him; he was never this…well, sweet. Constantine sighed. "All right…maybe I wanted some company too."

Angela was struck dumb by this confession, suddenly unashamed at the sensation of tears running down her cheeks. Wordlessly, he reached out and brushed his hand across her cheek.

"John…"

"Get some sleep," he muttered, voice completely devoid of any emotion.

She just stared at him for a moment, torn. Mostly she wanted to ask what he meant by all of this, whether he was finally starting to open up to the possibility of a relationship with her. But she'd learned that pushing him only resulted in an argument, and frustrating as it was, she was just going to have to wait for him to come around and decide on his own. She sighed and moved a little closer, resolving to leave it at that.

He slipped one hand under the covers and ran it down her back, rubbing gently. Angela gave him a questioning look, and he wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her in closer still.

"You're weird," she muttered into his shoulder. "Since when do you get like this?"

"Like what?"

"Like…this. Nice."

"Since I got tired of being an ass all the time." He laughed.

"All the time?" She put her arms around his waist, deciding to go with it and enjoy it while it lasted. "Does that mean you still want to be an ass sometimes?"

"Yes. Now go to sleep before I change my mind." He softened the remark with a light kiss on her temple, then closed his eyes, decisively ending the conversation.

Angela sighed and gave in to her exhaustion. She knew she would more than likely wake up alone as ever, but for the moment she had the warmth of his body and the sound of his heartbeat to quell the sounds of the storm still raging outside.

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