After the End

Chapter Eleven

They'd been circling the same part of the woods for two hours, nothing to do but talk. Dean steered the conversation away from his personal issues whenever an opportunity came up for Jo to ask, so eventually she stopped asking about him. He'd learned a lot about Jo in the last two hours, like how she was Ellen's daughter and how Bobby had become like a father to her. Dean could talk about Bobby all day, so at least he was able to share something with her. Jo talked about why she liked hunting and how her and her mom got into it. She talked about the roadhouse her and her mom used to run, before the apocalypse of course. Dean listened politely, commenting every now and then to keep the conversation going. For the most part, it was quite aside from their light conversation and bantering. Dean decided he liked Jo, enough that he might eventually agree to a date with her just to get over Cas. Not that he was sure it would work, but at least he'd have fun. Jo was a great conversationalist and she was really pretty, so one date wouldn't kill him. It would ease the tension between him and his father, at least. One date and that would be it. Dean didn't even have to tell Cas about it. If Cas would even care, that is.

"I've talked about myself a lot," Jo said eventually, a slight smirk on her lips as they walked off the trail in the woods. They'd spent so long searching the trail, they knew they'd find nothing if they kept at it. This way, they could look into every little nook and cranny and maybe even find the damn skinwalker. "You're not tired of me yet?"

Dean chuckled, ducking to avoid a low branch as the leaves and twigs crunched under their heavy boots. "I spent ten years with no one but my kid brother to talk to," he teased, bumping into her shoulder lightly as they walked side by side. "It takes a lot to scare me off," he promised. "Jack's done nothing but ask questions since I met the kid. Cas is horrible at board games, yet he's the only one who will ever play with me. The guy makes me read books to him when he can't sleep. I'd say I'm pretty tough if I can handle those three."

It's Jo's turn to laugh now, a light sound that makes Dean smile. "They sound great," she argued, leading Dean off to the right, down a new path they hadn't explored yet. "I bet you annoy them as much as they annoy you, right?" she joked, making Dean roll his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" he retorted, shaking his head dramatically. "I'm a ball of freaking sunshine. They love me." Jo laughed again, throwing her head back as they bantered back and forth. Dean enjoyed making her laugh, but not in the same way he enjoyed making Castiel laugh. The feeling in his chest was completely different. Watching Jo laugh, he felt warm and comfortable, like he did with Sam and Charlie. With Cas, it was a tight feeling in his chest, one he didn't quite understand. Warm and comfortable, but also hot and intense.

"I'd love to see that side of you," Jo replied genuinely, her eyes softening. They had grown much more comfortable in each other's presence in the last two hours. "Maybe that date I mentioned earlier could actually happen?" she wondered, and Dean felt his palms begin to sweat as he tucked his hands into his pockets.

"Potentially," he answered, heart thumping. Why was he so scared to tell her the truth? That he couldn't possibly be interested in her that way. Not that he was against dating women, because he loved women. They were hot and smelled nice and overall just great. But Castiel. . . that damn angel. Dean couldn't stop thinking about those blue eyes, the same color as the tie tucked safely in the side of his bag. Those strong hands and how they felt in his own. The way he couldn't sleep without Dean by his side.

Jo's smile faltered as she looked at Dean, their pace slowing slightly. "If you don't want to, it's fine," she said, though her tone conveyed the exact opposite.

"I didn't say that," Dean answered quickly, hoping to avoid conflict. He could go on one date and play it off like it didn't work out. He could tell her they'd be better as friends. Something like that. "Let's just get through this hunt and then we can dive into the details, alright?" he promised.