Two Weeks in Europe ✓

5

here's chapter 5! thank you so much to leolantsov, AndrewHass, Luminous_Dark for reading so far :))

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"You never told me why you're on this trip," Jamie reminded Cas a few hours later as they sped out of the city at long last. He was still suspicious as to what Cas's intentions were.

"I won the ticket in the bet," Cas said shortly.

"But what bet? And why would you want a ticket for a random bus tour around the Netherlands?"

"Maybe I wanted to get out and see the world," replied Cas.

Jamie rolled his eyes. "If you wanted to get out and see the world, you'd do it in style."

"This," Cas glanced around. "bus is well-furnished for a, well, bus."

Jamie snorted. "Sure. That's not the real reason, though, so what was it?" Cas shrugged. "You evidently knew that I was going to be your bus buddy," Jamie pointed out. "since you texted me." Cas nodded slowly. "So why did you come on this trip?"

"Does it matter?" Cas asked.

"Yes," Jamie replied.

"Why?" questioned Cas.

"Wouldn't you want to know why your," Jamie lowered his voice a little bit at the stares from other passengers. "ex best friend randomly decided to go on a bus tour with you?"

Cas's face was unreadable. He was silent for a long moment, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. He spoke at last. "Ex best friend?" His dark eyebrows were raised.

Jamie couldn't resist rolling his eyes. Of course that's what Cas would focus on. "Ex best friend," Jamie said firmly.

"That's not what we were," Cas said with a slight smirk.

"Fine," Jamie sighed, not sure why he was complying. "Ex best friend-with-benefits."

Cas laughed, eyes sparkling. "I suppose that does encompass it, huh?"

"Yeah," Jamie said, looking away. "It does." He was aware that Cas had skirted around his question, but Jame would bring it up again in due time. "So where have you been for the past three and a half years?"

Cas was quiet. "Just... around," he said finally.

"Around?" Jamie glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Around," Cas nodded.

"I think you owe me a little more than that," Jamie said, partially joking but mostly serious.

Cas sighed, dragging a hand through his dark hair. Jamie remembered the habit well. "I was in France, actually," Cas admitted.

"Why?" Jamie asked, surprised. Of all the places he had expected Cas to disappear to, France was not one of them. He remembered Cas's distaste for the country, despite being French.

Cas's laugh was without humor. "My dad dragged me there after, you know..."

"Oh." Oh. Perhaps he shouldn't have pried. Then again, what Cas had done to Jamie in the past was worse than a little bit of prying. "So how was that?"

"It was fine," Cas said shortly, lips pressed together as if that would stop him from having to answer any more of Jamie's questions.

"Meet any lovely French girls?" Jamie asked.

Cas glared at him. "Really?"

Jamie's voice was cold. "Yeah, really."

"It's been more than three years, James, aren't you over that already?" Cas asked.