A/N - You guys are the BEST! Thank you for lavishing attention on my simple story. I am having such fun creating this. Let me know what you are thinking! Read and Review! :D
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or the universe. If I did, I wouldn't be here writing about them, I'd be living there, eating pie off of Dean's tummy. :)
Sam was getting into the front seat when a thought stopped him dead in his tracks. "Wait just a damn minute, Dean. You just shivered the same way Raven does. Is there something you two aren't telling me?
Knowing the jig was up, Dean signed and faced Sam, "You're right. Raven and I are having the same chills… at the same time." Sam's eyebrow rose during his second admission. "We both knew it was happening but were in denial, I guess. I talked to her yesterday about it."
Sam, obviously upset, spoke through his teeth, "Why would you have kept that from me? I have been worried sick about her and now I have to worry about you too? Did it ever occur to you two that your chills and this case could be related? Let's get back to the motel. I want to talk about this between the three of us."
"Pick your battles, Dean. Pick your battles." He was mumbling under his breath. He just loved getting chewed out by his little brother. At least he wasn't alone this time. Raven was on the hook too.
Sam spent the short ride back to the motel pondering the possibilities of why these chills were happening. He was livid with them both, but especially Raven. He'd spent a sleepless night concerned about her health only to find out that she was sharing the chills with his brother. Trying to ignore the stab of jealousy that surged through his veins, Sam diverted his attention by working on a solution that would sever the connection between them.
When he opened the door to the motel room, the sight that awaited him dispelled any remaining anger Sam had left. Raven was lying on the bed with an ice pack on her forehead. Her complexion was the color of concrete. The migraine had returned. It only took Sam a second to realize that the shivers and the headaches had to be related. He crossed the room and sat down beside her, careful not to shake the bed. She held up a hand to acknowledge his presence but did not speak. He glanced back at Dean and was surprised to see him in action. He already had the peppermint oil remedy in his hand, stretching his arm out to hand it to Sam.
"Get to it, Sammy. She needs to start pulling her weight on this job if she wants to hunt with us." Dean's whispered words were rough but his eyes were clouded with concern. He might not like her but he didn't want to see her in pain anymore than Sam did.
Sam spoke softly, "Raven, sweetheart, let's rub some of the oil on your temples. We've got work to do." He knew mentioning the job would get her to respond. When it came to the job, she was the same as Dean. Nothing mattered more.
She tried gingerly removing the ice pack but the motion set off the nausea that had rendered her motionless. Moving quickly, Dean got the trash can under her head in time to catch that morning's orange juice. To his credit, Sam observed that Dean didn't flinch. Sam also noticed that Dean had dropped the usual bravado where Raven was concerned. He had moved his hand to stroke her hair but thought better it, not wanting to cause her any more discomfort.
After the dry heaves had stopped, she laid her head down on the edge of the bed nearest to Dean. He did not speak but simply reached his hand out to Sam, motioning for the remedy he was holding. Astonished, Sam handed it to him without a word. Dean opened the vial, dabbed some oil on his fingers and began rubbing her temples, as he had seen Sam do the day before. The accompanying stab of jealousy was almost more than Sam could bear but he didn't want to disturb Raven. So, he sat there, watching, wanting Dean's fingers to be his own.
"This is insane," Sam thought, "She doesn't belong to me or anything." He was an accomplished liar, especially when lying to himself but the truth was just too close to the surface this time. He was falling for Raven, hard and fast. And his brother had some special connection to her. This wasn't going to end well.
Raven hadn't opened her eyes since she heard Sam open the door to the motel room. The small amount of light that filtered through the cheap curtains had been unbearable. The magnitude of pain she had been in rendered her immobile. Even breathing had caused a stabbing throb all throughout her skull. The violent retching had almost caused her to lose consciousness and she had been disappointed when Sam's skillful fingers had brought her back from the brink. From the moment she had felt the cool sensation of the oil on her temples, the pain started to recede. It seemed like forever that he had massaged her aching head and it was simply glorious. Once the nausea was under control, she rolled on to her back to give Sam better leverage. The rhythm and pressure of his strokes never faltered. Sam was a genius. She sighed when his fingers left her temples and started working on the tense muscles in her neck. The heat from his hands was so relaxing. Raven hadn't remembered Sam being so thorough but complaining was the furthest thing from her mind. By the time Sam's lovely hands had finished with her neck and started working on the muscles along her jaw, the throb was down to a dull ache that could be managed quite handily by a few aspirin.
She felt it was safe to open her eyes and thank Sam for his exceptional care. Tentatively blinking, Raven allowed her vision to return to normal before focusing on the face hovering above her. She was utterly stunned to see a pair of vibrant green eyes, full of unease, returning her gaze. Yet again, she stopped breathing. Dean raised his hand from beneath her neck and brushed it along her temple, leaving fire in its wake. She shivered again but this time, it was different. The shiver wasn't violent. It was tantalizing; like electricity running all through her body and gathering in the pit of her stomach. Dean caught the chill as well and his gaze changed from concern to hunger in an instant. He let his finger trace the outline of her jaw and she quivered again, as did he. Raven's body finally forced her to take a breath. Her jumbled thoughts cleared and her defenses slammed into place. She hastily flipped off the mattress, getting as much distance between herself and Dean as possible.
"What are you doing? I don't remember giving you permission to touch me." Her cheeks were flushed.
Sam, who had not seen what had transpired, thought she was angry, "Raven, it's ok. I didn't want to move you and Dean was closest." His expression was repentant. "Are you feeling better, at least?"
"Yes I am, Sam. It's almost gone now," Her gaze returned to Dean but she was careful not to meet his eyes. "Thank you, Dean," she said stiffly. "Excuse me, I'd like to brush my teeth." Brushing past them both, she retreated to the sanctuary of the bathroom.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were still blazing and the trail of Dean's touch lingered along her jaw. Her indigo eyes shone with heat and were darkened by bewilderment. Somewhere in the bottom of her gut she just knew this wasn't going to end well.