Chapter 2
Morning had arrived, Sam was already up but he hadn't bothered to wake Dean or Cas. He stood at the foot of the bed and smiled to himself before proceeding to the bathroom. The sun was shining through the thin green curtains in the cheap, dingy motel room. Dean's bed was furthest away from the window and a few rays of sunlight reached the bed, filling the room with light and making Dean and Cas glow. The light from the window made Dean stir and wake up. Slowly he opened his eyes before closing them again and blinking them back open several times. It took him a moment to realize that it was Cas he was lay next to, the golden sunbeams making his skin glow. God you're so beautiful was the only thought Dean could muster up as he continued to watch Cas sleep. There was a sudden clattering and crashing noise coming from the bathroom followed by a stern "oh shit" of Sam's voice. Startled, Dean bolted up and was about to run into the bathroom to see what had happened when he noticed he had gone to bed in his jeans, and he didn't remember taking his clothes off. What the hell he thought as he looked around the room for his clothes. "Oh shit, Sam" he whispered to himself before dashing into the bathroom, still only in his pants.
"I was hoping that would get you up" Sam said without turning to face Dean.
"What are you on about Sammy?"
"What the hell is going on with you and Cas" Sam barked, making more of a statement than asking a question.
"Look man, it's been a rough couple of days, give me a break okay. Wait, you almost gave me a panic attack so you could ask me is something is going on?"
"Hey, I'm not judging, just… wondering"
"Yeah well nothing is going on okay, it's not my fault this shitty motel only has two beds" just as the last words left Dean's mouth he stalked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. The bang of the door woke Cas up.
"Huh" Cas gasped as he shot up in surprize. "Morning" he smiled at Dean.
"Well hello there, nice of you to join us" Dean winked "liking the bed head" he smirked
Cas looked at Dean with his eyebrows slightly raised and ruffles his own hair before climbing out of the bed.
"What time is it?" Cas yawned
"Erm" Dean looked at his watch "half nine, you slept in"
"I don't think I've ever slept that long before"
"Yeah, well you get used to it"
Sam left the bathroom and ran to his laptop, set up on the little table next to the window
"Stop flirting, we've got a case"
Cas and Dean looked at each other before Dean broke the silence with a quiet "psh, who was flirting, you stop flirting"
Sam raised his eyebrows and glanced at Dean before saying "dude, seriously, stop being childish and get over here, looks like Demons"
"Where?" Cas interrupted
"Ohio" Sam replied "get dressed, we need to go"
Cas tried to poof himself to Ohio before remembering he couldn't anymore.
"Cheer up buddy, we can make this work. I promise" Dean smiled at Cas.
"Don't make a promise you can't keep Dean"
"Hey, I would never make a promise that would get you hurt" there was stubbornness in Dean's voice. "Don't you trust me?" he grinned.
"Of course I do" Cas half smiled "I just-"
"Guys, we gotta go" there was urgency in Sam's voice.
It was almost eleven O'clock before they packed all the gear into the trunk.
"Okay, rules of the road" Dean exclaimed as the three of them climbed into the car, Dean in the driver's seat, Sam shotgun and Cas on the back seat, behind Sam. "Rule one, driver picks the music, everyone else shuts their mouth. Problems with that?" but before anyone could answer he said in an equally cheerful but stern voice "good, let's go." With that they were on the road.
"Why can't I ride shotgun?" Cas asked
"Because" replied Sam "I always ride shotgun"
Cas didn't say anything. He thought about arguing with Sam but he was distracted by the light shining on Dean's profile, making him look like he was glowing.
"It's a long ride to Ohio, so if you need to pee, speak up." Dean spoke so both Sam and Cas could hear him loud and clear, before adding in a hushed voice "won't have no goddamn piss in my car."
Dean cranked up the radio to break the deadly silence of the journey. AC/DC's Back In Black had just started playing, Dean was taping his fingers on the wheel in time with the beat of the song, Sam just sat there sighing and Cas sat in the back staring at Dean still not understanding how people could sit in a car for so long.
"Um, I think I need to go" Cas whispered, still loud enough to be heard but quiet enough to conceal the embarrassment.
"Damn it Cas, we just passed the rest stop" Dean retorted almost angrily.
"I'm, I'm sorry Dean"
"Listen, Cas, it's not your fault" Sam told him.
"But it is, it's all my fault. The Angels, everything, it's all on me"
"Just STOP CAS" Dean screamed as he swerved to pull in at the side of the road "look, there's a rest stop coming up soon we'll stop there and" he never finished his sentence.
After taking a moment to calm down, Dean started driving again. Before they knew it they were at the rest stop, just their second of the day after 4 hours on the road.
"Look, we are almost there, just an hour or so more and we can make a start on gankin' those bastards" Dean muttered to no one in particular.
"I'm gonna go get a snack" Sam said as he got out of the car.
Dean filled the tank and Cas went to use the restroom. When the three of them were back in the car, no one said a word. The engine started and they were on the move again.
Soon they approached a green sign that read 'WELCOME TO OHIO' in big white letters. It was a dirty sign, looked like it had never been re-painted and the two metal poles that were holding it up were orange and brown with rust.
"What a shit hole" Dean sighed shaking his head.
"We should find a Motel and get started" Sam suggested
"Screw the Motel for now, let's just get on with it so we can leave" Dean replied, he sounded agitated.
Cas hadn't said anything for hours. He just sat in the backseat, spaced out, looking out of the window.
"Hey, Cas, you still with us?" Dean said sharply.
"Yes Dean, I'm right here" Cas replied with a confused tone in his voice.
"What exactly are we doing here Sammy?"
"Okay so get this, a woman was attacked shortly after what everyone is calling a meteor shower"
"And?" Dean cut him off
"And, she survived. Said the guys that attacked her had black eyes"
"So Demons"
"That's what I told you this morning Dean, but then you were a bit preoccupied" Sam retorted as he turned to glance at Cas hoping Dean knew what he meant
"Shut up Sam" Dean snarled.
The rest of the journey was in silence. They had pulled up outside the woman's house before anyone said anything.
"So what's this woman's name?" Dean asked, clearly eager to just get it over with.
"Ms Reynolds" Sam replied "forty years old, husband left about a year ago"
"What do I do?" came Cas' quiet voice from the back seat.
"Just, stay out of the way" Dean said.
"C'mon Dean, don't be like that" Sam shot a glance at Dean "stay behind us and don't say anything unless you are asked to"
"Okay" Cas sounded solemn.
"Good, now can we go" Dean ushered everyone out of the car and they all walked over to the front porch, fixing their suits and ties as they walked.
Sam knocked on the white, plastic porch door and stepped back. A woman opened the door.
"She doesn't look forty" Dean thought with a grin "Hi, we are looking for a Ms Reynolds?" he said to the woman as they all pulled out their FBI badges.
"That's me" replied the woman. "Please, call me Alison"
"Okay, Alison" Sam quickly said before Dean could say anything else "I'm Agent Reed, this is my partner Agent Bruce" he gestured to Dean "and this is Agent King, he's a trainee" Sam pointed over his shoulder to Cas.
"You look far too young to be FBI Agent King" Ms Reynolds smiled.
"I'm older than I look" Cas replied glumly.
"Okay, well I guess you had all better come on in" she opened the door fully and rushed them inside. "Please, go on through to the living room and take a seat."
So they did. They entered the pastel yellow room and sat down, Sam and Cas on the white sofa (complete with pink flowers) and Dean on the matching chair placed at an angle, facing the old TV but next to the sofa. "God this is weird" Sam whispered while the woman was still out of earshot.
"It's creepy" Dean added.
"Okay, I brought lemonade for everyone" said the woman as she bounded into the living room with a tray that had a jug of lemonade complete with ice cubes and a slice of lemon placed in the centre and four tall glasses placed around the jug. She placed one glass on the table and handed the other three to Sam, Cas and Dean. Pouring lemonade into each glass and smiling in a way that was far too friendly for their liking at each of them as she did so. After she had poured her own lemonade in the glass she left for herself on the pale brown coffee table she quickly said "I'm just going to get the cookies" and before anyone could protest, she was gone.
"Right, enough of this" Dean said as he stood up and walked to the coffee table. As he got close, he drew a flask out from his inside jacket pocket and poured holy water into their host's lemonade. "what?" shrugged, shaking his head as Sam and Cas both glared at him. "Just making sure" he strolled back to his chair and sat down, just in time.
"Cookies are here!" sang the over enthusiastic Ms Reynolds. As she placed them on the table, in the centre so that everyone could reach. She took a sip of her lemonade and immediately began to cry in pain. Dean was just about to draw Ruby's knife from his pocket when Ms Reynolds said "there is nowhere near enough sugar in this lemonade, I refuse to let any of you drink it" she stood up and took their glasses from them before running back into the kitchen.
"Well that was close" Sam rolled his eyes
"I thought the lemonade was fine" Cas remarked
"Yeah, me too actually" Sam added.
Dean looked from Cas, to Sam, and back to Cas again before nodding in agreement. They all stood up in perfect sync and walked, silently, to the kitchen.
"Wondered how long it would take you" snarled the woman before they had even gone through the kitchen door. Sam pushed the door open just in time to see the Demon smoke out of Ms Reynolds body.
"Is she dead" Dean asked as Cas ran over to catch the falling woman.
"No, she will be fine" Cas replied "however she won't remember anything" he added.
"Good"
They made their way back to the impala. Dean was beating himself up about how he 'should have caught on sooner.'
"Look, it's starting to get late, we should find somewhere to stay and sort this out in the morning" Sam suggested.
"I agree with Sam" added Cas
"Yeah well you would, you haven't been driving all day" Dean scowled.
Sam sighed and shook his head judgingly, sighing just loud enough so that Dean shot him a 'what are you sighing at' look. "There should be a motel down the road somewhere" Sam pointed to the end of the long road.
"No shit" Dean said "there's always a fucking motel somewhere."
"You sound stressed Dean."
"That's because I am Cas, I got a lot on my plate right now."
No one argued with him. Dean turned on the radio but all they could hear was static, no music.
"Damn it" Dean said as he messed with the controls. 'Streets made of desire, lost in the city of angels' was the next sound to emerge from the radio 30 Seconds To Mars – City Of Angels was the song playing. "Oh shit" Dean started messing with the buttons again. "Why is it that the music we keep hearing is this kind of shit that's just going to upset Cas" Dean was talking to himself but still came Castiel's voice.
"It's okay Dean, I'm… okay."
"Good" Dean smiled.
"Dean, take the next right and there should be a motel" Sam poked Dean's arm.
"And how do you know that?" Dean asked.
"We just passed a signpost."
"Oh" Dean took the next right and sure enough, there was the motel. The parking lot was practically deserted, there were about four cars all parked in a row close to the door. They parked up on the far side, as far away from the others as they could get.
"Who's going to go check in?" Sam asked
"You do it" Dean replied quietly.
"Okay" Sam said as he got out of the car.
"You coming?" Sam asked, his brother was still sat in the car and so was Cas.
"You go get us set up, we'll catch you up soon" Dean said to Sam in a hushed voice. Sam didn't reply, he just gave a swift, sharp nod. Cas was just about to follow Sam's lead and get out of the car, as he reached for the handle he heard Dean softly say "no, just wait there a sec Cas"
"What is it Dean?" Cas echoed his soft tone
"Look, it's probably nothing but–"
"But what?" Cas cut him off.
"Would you just shut up and listen? Please, just once" Dean sounded sincere.
"I'm, I'm sorry Dean."
There was a silence throughout the car, neither of them dared to say anything. Cas opened his mouth to ask Dean what he wanted him for again but as he looked towards Dean he caught his big green eyes just looking at him through the rear-view mirror. Cas looked away quickly, thinking Dean wouldn't realise he had seen him watching him. As he glanced back up Dean has turned his head around and was staring right at him. Dean opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again, thinking about what he was going to say. Cas in turn repeated Dean's actions and realized how hard it was to think about what he was going to say with Dean looking at him like that.
"I heard what you said in the bar" Dean told Cas quietly.
"What do you mean? You hear what I said? But you weren't supposed to be listening!" Cas spoke with confusion and also joy in his voice. Dean knew how he felt. 'But he has taken so long to say anything, he doesn't feel the same way, I'm such an idiot' Cas thought to himself.
"But I was listening, I always listen to you Cas" Dean smiled.
Cas couldn't speak, he was in shock, he started to shake with fear, this was the moment where Dean either made him feel really happy or like a fool.
"You're shaking, do you want a blanket?"
Cas looked at him confused, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. "I don't..."
"Cas, you just gotta tell me if you meant it or not"
"I, erm, Dean, I have no grace... being an angel is all I know how to do, but you–" he cut himself off.
"Dude, is that a yes or no?"
"Yes Dean, It's true." Cas looked out of the window "I do have feelings for you"
"Okay then, I guess this is something we are going to have to talk about" Dean was looking straight at Cas. "But not just yet" he added.
Cas lifted his hands to his face and buried it in them. He felt so embarrassed about the whole thing and now Dean, well who knows what Dean is going to do. Cas couldn't think straight, still with his face in his hands he began to shake his head. He couldn't wrap his mind around what was going on and he certainly didn't want to face Dean right now. When he looked up, Dean was gone. 'I must have imagined it all' Cas thought, however it was more of a hoped. He opened the door of the shiny black Impala and spun his legs round to climb out. No sooner had he slid to the edge of his seat, that he felt Dean's warm, strong hands pushing him slowly back, lying him down on the soft leather seats.
"Don't say a word" Dean whispered, a stern, authoritative tone in his voice. Cas nodded. Dean continued to push Cas into the seats until he was lying fully down. He slid his knees up, so he was kneeling either side of Cas' waist before placing his hands just above the flat shoulders of Castiel and then, Dean turned at the waist and closed the car door. Sliding his knees back down so that he could look into Cas's eyes, he bent his head down and kissed Cas. First on the forehead, then the tip of his nose, and then his lips.
"Dean.." Cas sighed
Dean cut him off with a soft "Shut up, I said no talking" he gave a slight chuckle as he spoke. Dean lowered his body and was holding himself centimetres from Cas. His legs either side of Cas, his body flush against him, but his shoulders and face just hovering.
"What are you doing?" Cas asked, ignoring Dean's attempts to shut him up.
"Proving something" Dean replied as he planted another soft kiss on Cas's lips. This kiss lasted longer than the first one, but it still only lasted a moment. The best moment of both their lives.
"Wow" Cas stammered as Dean lifted his head back up.
"Yeah, that was… different, good… but different"
"Do it again" Cas grabbed Dean's jacket and pulled him all the way down on top of him. Dean started to kiss Cas again, slowly making his way to his neck, running his trembling hands down Cas's waist. As Cas wrapped his feet around Dean's legs, Dean began to nip at his neck and Cas sighed with content and clipped his warm hands underneath the back of Dean's shirt, digging his fingers into his bare back. Dean stopped kissing Cas to look him straight in the eye and say
"This is something I should have done a long time ago"
"What, get me in the back of your car?" Cas laughed
"No, kiss you." He paused "and make you smile" with that there were no more words, just the sound of immeasurable pleasure coming from the back of the Impala.