A/N: As a reminder, Dean's thoughts are ITALICIZED and Sam's thoughts are in BOLD.
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Series One, Episode Three, Chapter Two
Going For A Ride*
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While Dean had been talking to Cas, Sam had taken his laptop to the bar that he and Dean had went to their first night in town, in order to search for another case. He was surprised when he quickly found one 12 or so hours away in Easlsey, South Carolina. The brothers left the next day around 7:00am.
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Sam was fast asleep in the passenger's seat when Dean realized Cas was sitting in the back. For a nanosecond, Dean recalled the previous evening - that is, the glance he stole of the angel's lips - but he mentally brushed it off.
Figuring Dean would not want to wake Sam by having a conversation, the angel pressed two fingers to the sleeping Winchester's forehead.
What the fuck? "What's you just do, Cas?"
"I thought that you wouldn't want to unintentionally wake Sam, so I merely made sure he would sleep through our conversation. I did the same to you when you weren't speaking with me."
"Wait, what? You did that to me too?"
The look on Cas's face was almost somber. "Like I said, Dean, you weren't speaking to me at the time."
Right. "Uh, ok. So, when you did that to me, what did you talk to Sam about?"
Cas looked reluctant to say anything, but he answered. "You. How you were doing. If either you or Sam needed my assistance."
Dean's brow furrowed, "Okay. Thanks, I guess."
"You're welcome, Dean," the Angel replied seriously.
Dean shifted in his seat, "And you're here now because...?"
"Well, now that you are speaking to me again, I wanted to ask you directly if there's anything you needed. Also, the last time we spoke, you seemed to have begun developing a speech impediment. It was odd. I wanted to know if you had recovered. It appears you have."
Dean did not know what to say to that. He could not have told the angel that it was because he looked at his lips. So Dean merely said, "Uh, yeah, I guess."
They sat in silence for a few moments. "So, is there anything I could help you with?"
"Oh right. Well, uh, Sammy and I are on our way to a possible case. Sam said that a family of five was found dead in their home with all the windows and doors locked." Dean hesitated before adding, "You can come too, if you want."
"I would like that," Cas answered a little too quickly.
"Awesome," Dean said a little too enthusiastically, and he had no idea why. "Hey, so, uh, when's Sammy gonna wake up?"
"I can wake him now if you like."
Dean shook his head, "Nah, let him sleep until it's his turn to drive."
After about five minutes, the hunter became uncomfortable with the silence.
"So... How are things in Heaven?" Dean asked.
Cas shifted uncomfortably, looked at his hands, then met Dean's eyes in the rearview mirror. "I haven't been back since I have awakened. Gabriel has kept me busy. He is in charge now."
Dean chuckled. "Gabriel, in charge?" He chuckled again.
"Although Gabriel's return has caused some controversy, he is the only Archangel that isn't either dead, or um," Cas swallowed at the memory of killing his brother, and of all the other brothers and sisters he murdered, "or um, in the Cage. As such, he is the most logical one to be the new leader."
Dean smiled. "That may sound logical to you, Cas, and for all I know he'll do fine as the Captain of Heaven's football team, but that still is... hard for me to picture."
Cas tilted his head, "Heaven doesn't have a football team."
Dean stifled another chuckle. I had to of seen that one coming. "I know Cas, it's a metaphor."
Cas turned his gaze to stare blankly out the window to his right. "I see."
Dean smiled; Cas was being his normal self, the one that Dean had been missing for so many months.
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After five hours, it was Sam's turn to drive. Dean pulled over to the side of the road. Cas pressed two fingers to the sleeping Winchesters head, then pulled his hand back before Sam opened his eyes.
"My turn to drive?" Sam asked sleepily as he sat up in his seat.
"Yup. Oh, and Cas is gonna hang with us for a while."
"Oh," Sam said in a haze. He sleepily peered into the back, "Hey Cas." He scratched his head, "Uh, why are you comin' with us?" He knew that his brother and the Angel had made nice, but he did not think that Dean would be ready to have Cas tag along with them 'for a while,' Whatever that means.
Dean shrugged. "I asked if he wanted to and he said yes."
Really? Sam yawned, "Okay." Then the younger Winchester realized that it had been four weeks since his brother and the angel had been in the same place. This was huge. He grinned, "I guess you two kissed and made up then?"
Dean's eyes widened and a flash of Cas's lips went through his mind. He swallowed.
Cas quinted and shook his head, "We didn't kiss. We hugged." The Angel looked to Dean, "Is kissing the proper way to end a dispute such as we had?"
That little question made Dean shift in his seat. I am so not going to look at Cas's lips!
Sam's eyebrows shot up and he busted out laughing. "W-w-wait! Dean actually hugged you? He, like, never hugs anyone! Wow. I guess that means Dean's got a crush on you."
Dean covered his embarrassment that comment caused him with a face that made Sam think his brother was truly going to kill him. "Shut up Sam! I do not have a crush on Cas!" He opened the door and put his left foot on the ground. "Your turn to drive." Dean got out of the car, slammed the driver's side door, walked around to the passenger's side, opened the door, and pretty much dragged Sam out of the car - Sam who was still giggling like a schoolgirl despite his brother's expression.
With a death grip on his brother's bicep, Dean told Sam, "I. Hate. You," then shoved the bigger man aside so he could get in the car.
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Sam pulled into the parking lot of the Carolina Wren Motel at 7:40pm. Their fourth floor motel room was pretty typical: two beds, a tv, a desk, and a bathroom and closet across from each other just inside the door. Across from the entrance were a set of big windows.
"Great," both brothers said. Cas did not understand what was so great about the room, but he decided to not bother asking.
Dean tossed his bag on the bed closest to the door, so Sam got the other bed by default. After he placed his bag on the bed, the younger Winchester realized they neglected to think about Cas.
"So, Cas. Um, what do you plan on doing while Dean and I are asleep?"
Cas nodded to the char between Sam's bed and the windows. "I could sit there quietly and watch over you both while you sleep." Neither of the Winchesters said anything, they just stared at him blankly. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No Cas. It's uh, it's just - well, it'd be kind of creepy if you were sitting in the chair all night just watching Sam and I sleep."
Cas thought about that, "I see. What would you rather I do while you both sleep?"
A VERY small part of Dean said, Be in bed with me, which freaked out the other parts of Dean that were paying attention to that part. Dean either did not acknowledge any of those parts, or he did not even realize that he had parts that felt that way.
"Uh, yeah, if that's alright with you." Sam answered.
"Or you could sit in the chair and pretend you were sleeping." Dean offered, getting a what-the-fuck? look from Sam.
Cas went over to the chair, sat in it with his back straight, his hands in his lap, and his eyes closed. "Like this?"
Dean stifled a laugh. "Not quite. Here, get up, I'll show you."
Sam still had a what-the-fuck? look on his face.
Cas got up from the chair and stepped aside. The hunter walked between the bed and the chair, - in order to no bump into Cas - sat down, put his legs up on the footrest, and positioned himself so that his head rested on the back of the chair.
He opened his left eye to look at Cas, "See? Just like this? Got it?"
Sam looked at his brother like he was insane.
"Although that looks uncomfortable," Cas nodded, "yes, Dean, I understand."
"Good." Dean opened both eyes, sat up straight, and clapped his hands together. "Time for some grub."
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*Going For A Ride is a track on the soundtrack for the Serenity Motion Picture album.