Thanks so much for the reviews guys! It boosts my ego up to a new level. Haha. I also want to thank those who added this to their favorite stories list. You too boosts my ego up. Haha. And welcome to the newcomers. I'm sorry for the cliffhanger last time (not really). As I've said before, I love writing them but hate reading them. Yes, I can be a hypocrite sometimes but I'm just human. ;)

Anyway, there are only FOUR more chapters and this fic will be ending. I have to follow the draft I had for this or else I won't know how to finish this. So, yeah. Don't forget to review guys! I need a lot of ego boosters because they inspire me to work harder and faster. Also, if there are grammatical errors, please forgive me. I gave this a once over and haven't checked it for a second time. So... Review? Pwetty pwease... :)

Enjoy guys! Love y'all! *blows a kiss to you guys*


The More You Hate, the More You Love

Chance...

0===0

As the younger prince cried there, soaking and cold, Dean felt the extreme guilt descend upon him as he stared at him. He didn't mean to make the younger prince cry. The only thing he wanted was to make Castiel feel slightly embarrassed. He didn't expect Castiel to fear snakes that much. He thought he would simply scream and run away. He didn't expect to see his eyes, his face, filled with tears. He didn't expect the fear in those blue eyes. All of a sudden, he felt like the worst person alive.

As the guilt swallowed Dean whole, Castiel started sniffing, feeling quite certain that he would catch a cold if he didn't get dry quickly. When the younger prince started to sneeze, Dean shook out of his trance but they kept on staring at each other. Ever so slowly, Dean walked closer to Castiel. He crouched down and reached out to help the younger prince to stand. But as his hands brushed the younger prince's arms, he flinched. Dean pulled his hands away quickly, feeling the guilt grow when he saw how even more scared Castiel got.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly and reached out once more, slowly this time. Castiel's gaze went to Dean's hands as the older prince slowly reached out to him, as if he was a wounded animal. He was so scared that Dean would hurt him even more. His heart was beating erratically in his chest but he tried to calm down. At that moment, only Dean would be able to help him. His breathing got faster as Dean's hands got closer to him. His lower lip was trembling and he looked back at Dean as fresh tears flowed quickly down his face. The older prince paused when he saw Castiel's scared gaze and said in a quiet voice, "I'm not going to hurt you." his hands continued to reach out until he finally held the younger prince's shoulders gently but firmly. Castiel held onto Dean's elbows for support as he was gently hauled up. He whimpered when he felt the pain on his ankle, making Dean wince and ask, "Can you walk?"

Castiel tried to walk, but the pain was kind of unbearable at the moment, making him whimper once more and hold Dean's arms tighter on impulse. Then, Dean did something unexpected. He carried the younger prince as if he was a bride. Castiel gave a surprised yelp but still wrapped his arms around Dean's neck instinctively. Dean walked towards the tree where Castiel was at first. The younger prince hid his face on the crook of Dean's neck and whimpered when he saw the dead snakes. Dean kicked them off, away from Castiel's sight and slowly and gently put the younger prince on the ground. He slowly let his hold of Dean loose as he was set down. His wide, fear-filled blue eyes were staring directly into Dean's guilty green ones.

Dean reached out a hand to wipe the tears away, but they kept on falling. "I'm sorry." He whispered again and stood up, only to be stopped by Castiel's hands holding onto his wrist. The younger prince's eyes pleaded him not to leave because he was so scared to be left alone after what happened. Dean sighed softly and crouched down once more to be of eye level to him once more. Castiel didn't let go of his wrist. "I'll just get Chev, okay? I have rucksack with her where we can put your wet clothes." Castiel whimpered in response and his lower lip trembled once more. He started sniffing once again then sneezed. "Take your shirt off." Dean said as he pulled his hand away and removed his long sleeved over shirt. The younger prince was reluctant at first but obliged anyway.

After Castiel has removed his shirt, he wrapped his arms around himself when he felt the air hit his bare skin. Without the younger prince's shirt, Dean can see his lean and beautiful body. He could've simply stared at the younger prince's body if Castiel didn't sneeze once more. He handed him his over shirt to wear then stood up once more as Castiel put the shirt on. Since Dean was bigger than him, the shirt was loose. The sleeves almost covered his hands, leaving only a small portion of his index, middle and ring fingers to be seen. The hem of the shirt was three to four inches short from his knees. "Dean." Castiel spoke for the first time. Dean can hear the fright in his voice that it made him comb the younger prince's hair back.

"I'll return to you. I swear." He said and ran towards the place where he left his horse. He quickly got Chev and ran back to Castiel. When he got back, Castiel was trying to remove his pants and his boots because they were getting quite uncomfortable. But the pain on his left ankle was preventing him from doing so. His pants were already by his knees and he has divested of his right boot. Dean swallowed thickly when the realization that Castiel was wearing nothing else besides his shirt occurred to him. He didn't know why but it made his heart beat faster.

As Dean approached, Castiel abruptly looked up with frightened blue eyes which calmed down when he realized who it was. Dean crouched down once more to assist the younger prince. He held Castiel by his armpits and gently stood him up. Castiel held Dean's arms tightly as he was hauled up. He was very careful not to put his weight on his left foot. The older prince slowly let go of the younger one, making sure he could stand on his own. Castiel put his weight on his uninjured foot as Dean crouched down. The older prince took out a knife hidden on the side of his right boot and then looked up at the younger man.

"We'll just replace your pants and your boots, okay?" he said. He got a nod as a response from Castiel, telling him that he understood Dean's intentions.

Dean slowly cut the boot so that Castiel's foot would not be put to more strain. After removing the younger prince's boot, he swallowed thickly then started to rip the pants off. He didn't know that Castiel was biting his lower lip hard as he ripped his pants. He also didn't know that Castiel's heart was in overdrive and that he was blushing.

Whenever he was with Dean, he loses all his self-control. He has the tendency to return Dean's dislike towards him rather than ignore it and make up, which he would normally do. Dean can easily crawl up under his skin, piss him off without trying too much and make him reach his limit with a snap of his fingers. It was so easy for Dean to make him feel when he was so used to being serious in front of people he doesn't hold dear to his heart. It was so easy for Dean to get past the walls around him and poke at the emotions hidden underneath. He doesn't know how and why Dean possessed this power over him; but he knew it was irritating as hell.

Dean was blushing as well as his heart beat erratically in his chest. He doesn't really know why but Castiel has that effect on him. The younger prince can make him loose his nerves, make him feel all fluttery inside and make him feel light, all at once. Being with Castiel felt like flying while falling and it annoyed him to the extent of disliking and humiliating the younger prince.

Castiel was now playing with the hem of Dean's shirt as the older man continued to cut his pants, unintentionally showing some of the skin of his thighs for Dean's field of vision to reach. Dean blushed a little deeper and swallowed thickly when he saw a few glimpses of the younger man's pale skin. His hands felt like they were shaking even though they were steady on the outside. He wanted to touch Castiel and Castiel, deep inside, knew he wanted Dean to touch him; he wanted Dean's attention all to himself. The sudden urge seemed to have come from nowhere at first thought, but, when studied even more, it really did not. The way they banter every now and then made it clear that that urge has been there all along. The reason may be unknown, but it was always there.

When Dean was done ripping the pants off, he looked up to see Castiel's flushed and shy face; the way he chewed his lower lip. As Dean looked up to him, he quickly averted his gaze and looked everywhere but at Dean. He wasn't really sure why he was feeling the way he was feeling at that moment. He wasn't even sure what it was he was feeling. All he knew was that Dean makes him feel weird.

"Um," Dean started in a slightly cracked and hoarse voice. He then cleared his throat awkwardly and continued, "Where's your shirt?" Castiel glanced shortly at the older prince then tilted his head to the direction of his shirt. Said shirt was lying just beside his right foot. Dean reached out to grab the younger prince's shirt and his cheek accidentally brushed against Castiel's exposed thigh. Dean paused and tensed a little. A small barely noticeable shiver ran through his body, making him swallow thickly, before he finally got a hold of the shirt. He then took Castiel's boots and pants. Unbeknownst to him, Castiel shivered involuntarily as well. He bit his lower lip once more as his face flushed into a darker shade of red. The place where Dean's cheek brushed against his thigh felt tingly and he wanted to feel that sensation once more.

Dean cleared his throat awkwardly once more then slowly stood up, shirt, boots and pants in hand, as he kept his gaze on the ground. Castiel chanced a glance at Dean and saw that the older prince was just as bothered as he was. He shifted his gaze once more when he saw him starting to look up.

When Dean looked up at Castiel, he was surprised to see the dark shade of red on the younger man's face. When he saw the tint of red on the younger prince's cheeks, he can't help but smile softly and admire his beauty. Castiel truly did look beautiful with a flushed face. The shy look on his face makes him look even more beautiful at that moment.

"I'll just, uh," Dean started then cleared his throat awkwardly as he looked away from Castiel's face. "I'll just put them in the rucksack." He continued as he raised the wet clothes for emphasis. All Castiel did was nod without looking at Dean. He was still a little flushed and was still nibbling his lower lip.

After Dean has put the wet clothes away, he pulled Chev towards Castiel, earning him his attention. Their gazes met for a short while until they both flushed when then they realized they were staring at each other then swiftly shifted their gaze. Dean moved closer to Castiel and held the younger prince's waist. Castiel's head snapped up to look at Dean. They didn't know how or why, but without saying a word, they understood each other.

Castiel placed his hands on Dean's shoulders for support when the older prince lifted him up to sit him on Chev; the same way a female does so he will not hurt his ankle more. The horse recognized Castiel and stood still. When he was finally seated on the horse, he smiled softly and petted her. Dean watched this little scene unfold for a short while until he remembered that Castiel still has an injury. He hopped onto his horse, behind Castiel, and gently kicked her sides to get her moving.

Castiel was startled at first when Dean got on Chev. He was too busy adoring the horse he was riding and missing his own horse. He turned his head to look at Dean and was offered a soft smile that seemed to have come from nowhere. It was a genuine one and he was a little taken aback by the sudden smile but returned it, nonetheless.

As they trudged back to the castle, Castiel felt the urge to hold onto Dean. One reason was that it was kind of hard to hold on to Chev when her hair was cut short and the other was simply because he wanted to. The younger prince bit his lower lip and moved his right arm to grip on the side of the older prince's shirt. His hand kept on clenching and unclenching lightly, waiting for Dean to shove his hand away.

When Castiel held his shirt tightly, he tensed for a short while. He immediately relaxed when he felt the uncertainty of the younger man's hand, as if he wasn't sure if the gesture was welcome. He knew Castiel was having a hard time holding onto Chev because her hair was always trimmed short. Dean's next move surprised not just Castiel but him, himself. He grabbed the younger prince's wrist and wrapped his arms around his waist, forcing Castiel to lean closer to him. Castiel instinctively brought his other arm up to hold onto Dean, wrapping both his arms around Dean's waist. Castiel flushed as he leaned closer to Dean, feeling the older prince's warmth through their clothing. He unconsciously tightened his hold on Dean, making the older prince's lips twitch, trying to suppress a smile that was threatening to be shown for a reason unknown to him.

Castiel's head settled by the side of Dean's neck, his soft, messy dark hair tickling Dean's cheek and chin. He sighed contently and closed his eyes, finding Dean's warmth quite comforting. He still wasn't sure why and how, but he instantly trusted Dean at that moment. It felt a little quick, knowing how much they disliked each other in the first place.

When Castiel sighed against his collarbone, an unexpected and barely noticeable shiver ran down his spine. Unconsciously, he raised his left hand to gently massage the younger prince's scalp, making Castiel hum softly and sigh once more. He only realized this action when Castiel's breathing has evened out to soft shallow ones, giving him the idea that he has fallen asleep. He looked down at Castiel, seeing the younger man's eyelids hide his beautiful blue eyes. Without his consent, he smiled at the peaceful look on Castiel's face and realized that maybe, he didn't hate Castiel at all.


By the way, I was surprised none of you mentioned about the riding thing in the last chapter. No one seemed to have noticed a different implication on Castiel riding something. *waggles eyebrows* And just to be clear, that wasn't intentional. I only realized it when I finished the story and have read it. Guess I'm just a perv. Sheesh. :P