Chapter 7

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When they hit West Virginia, they still hadn't spoken about what happened in the pub and after the pub. 
It was awkward for Dean. He just wanted to bring it up, get the fucking shit out of his system and get it over with. He needed to know if Castiel knew what he'd said, what had happened that night, despite having a feeling his driving companion did. If the awkward silences and stare downs were anything to go by, Castiel did. 
It wasn't until they reached a small town in West Virginia that it came up. 
They both couldn't go any further, exhausted out of their minds, so they pulled over at a motel and Dean went in to get a room while Castiel got out their bags. 
When he walked into the office, Dean woke up a sleeping form at the desk, who blinked wearily and asked him "How many?"
"Two. Anything'll work. We're flexible."
"All we got is a queen size. One of 'em." 
"Like I said," Dean yawned, paying the guy and looking out the window at the stars as the shady man searched for the key on the cluttered desk. 
"Here you go. Enjoy." A key was slid across to Dean and he smiled and nodded once at the guy as he took it, escaping the office and checking the room number. He gestured to Castiel and they walked down to the room furthest from the office. Dean unlocked the door and took the bags from Castiel, dropping them on the table just inside the door. He unzipped them both and snorted softly. 
"We should hit a laundromat tomorrow morning. We're running low." He tossed Castiel pajama pants and wiped his eyes, pulling out another pair and laughing softly when he realized that he'd thrown his to Cas and was holding Castiel's. "Who gives a fuck," he sighed, unbuttoning and unzipping his own pants and letting them drop after toeing out of his shoes. He kicked the jeans with his shoes and pulled the flannel pants on, falling into bed next to Castiel afterward. Castiel had his eyes closed and was covering them with his forearm. Dean gently nudged him as he yawned. "Cas?" A grunt was a reply. "This awkward for you too?" A nod. Dean breathed a laugh. "Me too. I'll sleep on the floor if it makes it easier."
"No," Cas yawned. "Stay. It's fine." He moved his arm and dropped his hand aimlessly, which happened to be on Dean's thigh. "Sorry," he said, neglecting to move his hand. 
"It's okay," Dean yawned, blinking slowly before finally closing his eyes. He let his own hand move down to cover Castiel's on his leg, resting lightly over the warm, slender fingers. "Goodnight, Cas."
"Goodnight, Dean." 
***
Castiel woke up to find himself on his side, facing Dean, arm tossed over the man beside him. Smiling at first, he moved closer and nuzzled his cheek into the pillow with a sigh. His eyes opened again slowly and took in every little, tan pore of Dean's sleeping face, every cracked, chapped, pink portion of skin on Dean's parted lips, every fine hair that gave him the scratchy stubble effect. 
Oddly, Castiel found himself smiling slightly as he watched Dean sleep, feeling every breath that came out of the man's mouth, and found that he enjoyed it. He wanted to do this more often, wake up next to Dean and all. It was nice. 
More than nice, actually. It was amazing. 
Until Dean woke up, that was. Then it was just awkward. Dean's eyes opened, bright and green and unfocused, and Castiel felt his smile fall. He quickly closed his own eyes before Dean registered what was happening and pretended he was still asleep since he didn't want to move just yet. 
There was a soft rustling when Dean moved, on his side now instead of on his stomach. Warm breath still brushed again Castiel's nose and lips, so Dean had turned to face Castiel... God, that was adorable. Castiel felt a soft pair of lips press against his forehead and his breathing stopped. A scratchy chin brushed against his forehead as well as Dean pulled away from it, trying to get away, but Castiel only tightened his arm and held Dean closer. 
He felt Dean breathe a small laugh and his lips twitched with the need to curve into a smile. 
"Come on, Constantine, I know you're awake. No sleeping man has a grip that good on my ass." Castiel's cheeks warmed up, despite his mental protests, at Dean's remark. His hand let go of Dean's ass slowly as he readjusted his arm around Dean, still feigning his slumber. "Stop the charade, Cas." 
Castiel exhaled slowly. "You're no fun," he whispered. 
Dean laughed. "Sorry, buddy, but I ain't that easy." 
"Says the guy who ran off with a different woman every night for months."
"Whatever," Dean waved a hand and smiled. "Sleep well?"
"Like a baby," Castiel nodded. "This one may be the best one we've stayed in."
"Definitely the dirtiest one," Dean frowned, allowing Castiel a nice look at the muscles in Dean's neck as he looked around the room. Castiel had never really appreciated the muscles under skin before now. He silently guessed that it took a god to get them correct. Dean fell back again with a yawn that he tried to hide by forcing himself to keep his mouth closed. Castiel smiled again and watched the muscles in his jaw flex. He found himself yawning next, forcing his own mouth to stay closed. "Enough of the hotel appraisal. We need to do laundry," Dean smiled lazily at Castiel, causing Castiel's eyes to rest on Dean's lips. 
Shit, Cas wanted to kiss him so bad. He wanted to know what Dean tasted like when he wasn't in a pub or a motel room in New York. He wanted to know what Dean tasted like across the country. Every flavor, every temperature, everything. He wanted to taste everything. "Dammit, screw this," he whispered, moving his hand from Dean's hip to his cheek, leaning in to kiss him cautiously. 
When he finally pulled away, Castiel was afraid to open his eyes in fear that Dean would be angry and would hate him and leave him in West Virginia to find his own way home. 
However, a pair of lips pressed to his and erased it all away. He relaxed into the kiss, responding with as much gusto as Dean was throwing in it. 
***
Finally was all Dean could think. Finally, finally, finally; with every move of their lips came another finally. 
He forgot to breathe and pulled away with his chest heaving as he gasped in breaths. Then he started laughing, throwing an arm around Castiel. "Thank God," he chuckled. "I don't think I could have taken many more staring contests or awkward silences." 
Castiel laughed, a sound that was music to Dean's ears. "That's why I did it. I can't believe we went through a whole state with minimum speaking..." 
Dean grinned and nodded slightly. "It seems impossible."
"Very," Castiel sighed, and the conversation trailed off. 
Dean leaned in and paused for a second before kissing Castiel softly once. "C'mon, let's get our last change of clothes and then hit the laundromat."

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