Heart of a Hunter

10: Nothing Gets Past Dean

Sam's POV

The rain had eased up by the time we pulled into the parking lot of another nameless, run-down motel. The storm had finally passed, but the air still smelled of wet asphalt and damp earth, clinging to the Impala as Dean parked under the flickering sign. I sat there for a moment, my hands still on the wheel, my mind buzzing with everything that had happened back in the car.

Blair was beside me, quiet but not in the same way she had been before. She wasn't staring out the window, lost in some distant memory. Now, she was here—present. The kiss had changed something between us, and I wasn't sure if I was relieved or terrified. Probably a little of both.

Dean, however, was oblivious. Or so I thought.

He hopped out of the car, slamming the door behind him and stretching his arms over his head. "Well, that was a fun drive," he said, his voice loud enough to break through the silence I hadn't even realized had settled between Blair and me. "Nice, relaxing road trip through the rain. Nothing like it."

I shot him a look, my brows furrowing. Something about his tone was off—too casual. Like he was trying to cover up the fact that he knew exactly what had gone down in the car while he was grabbing his food.

Blair shifted beside me, and I glanced at her, noticing the way she tugged my jacket closer around herself, as if it could protect her from whatever Dean was about to say.

Dean walked around to her side of the car, peeking through the window with a grin that immediately put me on edge. "So," he said, dragging out the word as he leaned against the window, looking between Blair and me, "anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

Blair froze, and I could see the color rise in her cheeks. I opened my mouth to brush him off, but Dean wasn't done.

"Anything you want to share with the class?" Dean's grin widened, his eyebrows waggling in that obnoxious way that let me know he was about to lay into me hard.

"Dean..." I warned, already feeling the heat rising in my own face.

But Dean being Dean, he wasn't about to let it go. "Oh, come on, Sammy. I'm not blind. You and Red back there were practically glued together when I got back from the diner. And now? All this awkward silence?" He leaned back, crossing his arms with a satisfied smirk. "You guys kiss or something?"

Blair let out a small, almost embarrassed laugh, but her eyes darted to me, like she was looking for a way out. I could feel the tension radiating off her. This was probably the last thing she needed after everything that had happened, and I wanted to strangle Dean for making it worse.

I shot him a glare, but before I could say anything, Dean clapped his hands together. "Oh, you did, didn't you? You finally made a move on Sammy, huh, Blair?"

Blair's face went bright red, and she looked like she wanted to disappear into the seat. I wanted to punch Dean in the arm—but the truth was, I couldn't deny it. Not after what had just happened. The kiss. The way everything had shifted between us.

"Dean," I said, my voice low and serious, hoping he'd back off.

But Dean just laughed, pushing off the car and looking way too pleased with himself. "No, no, this is great. Really. I mean, you've had this weird tension between you two since we picked Blair up. Honestly, I thought it was only a matter of time before one of you cracked."

"Dean..." I tried again, but he was on a roll.

"And let's be real," Dean continued, grinning at Blair now. "It's about time someone pulled my brother's head out of the sand. He's a great guy, you know, just a little slow on the uptake when it comes to women."

Blair laughed again, a little more freely this time, though she still looked embarrassed. I couldn't tell if she was mortified by the teasing or grateful that Dean was somehow making light of a situation that had been weighing on both of us.

"Dean," I said, finally standing up out of the car, facing him. "Lay off."

Dean raised his hands in surrender, still smirking. "Alright, alright. I'm done." He turned to Blair with a wink. "But seriously, Blair. Good on you. Somebody's gotta keep him in check, and you look like you're up for the job."

Blair's smile widened a little, though her face was still flushed. She glanced at me, and for the first time since Dean started in on us, she didn't look so uncomfortable. Maybe Dean's teasing had lightened the mood a little, even if it made me want to disappear into the ground.

I sighed, shaking my head. "You're unbelievable," I muttered, though I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. Dean's teasing might have been relentless, but it was his way of showing support. In his own, obnoxious way.

Dean clapped me on the back as we started walking toward the motel room, his grin still firmly in place. "Hey, no hard feelings, Sammy. It's all love. I'm just happy you two are finally dealing with all that romantic tension you've been bottling up."

Blair gave me a shy look as she followed behind us, and I could see the amusement starting to replace the awkwardness in her eyes. I could only imagine what was going through her head, but I was grateful she hadn't completely shut down. If anything, Dean's teasing had somehow made the whole thing feel a little less terrifying, a little more... normal.

We reached the door to our room, and Dean pushed it open, tossing his bag onto one of the beds with a dramatic flourish. "Alright, lovebirds, we've got a long night ahead of us, so let's get settled." He shot me one more look before plopping down on his bed. "And, Sam? Try not to get too distracted now that you've got a girl in the picture."

I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Dean..."

Blair let out a small laugh, the sound soft but genuine, and I turned to see her smiling at me in a way that made my heart skip a beat. There was still a lot we hadn't said, a lot we hadn't figured out yet, but in that moment, it didn't feel quite as overwhelming.

We'd kissed. We'd crossed that line. And now... well, we'd figure it out, one step at a time.

Dean stretched out on his bed, hands behind his head. "Alright, I'm done. Promise." He gave me a mock-serious look. "Just remember, Sammy, no making out on my bed."

Blair laughed again, this time not bothering to hide her amusement, and I felt a rush of warmth flood my chest. As much as I wanted to be annoyed with Dean, I couldn't help but feel grateful. His teasing had made something that could have been awkward and overwhelming feel lighter, easier to deal with. And in the middle of everything else—Blair's grief, the monster that had torn her family apart, the constant uncertainty of our lives—we needed that.

I gave Dean a half-hearted glare, then turned to Blair, who was still smiling, her cheeks pink but her eyes brighter than they'd been in days. "You okay?" I asked her softly.

She nodded, her smile softening. "Yeah," she whispered, her gaze meeting mine. "I think I am."

And just like that, the weight that had been pressing down on me since that kiss in the rain lifted, just a little. We weren't fixed—we weren't even close—but for the first time in a long time, it felt like maybe, just maybe, we were heading in the right direction.

And Dean? Well, Dean would keep poking fun at us the whole way. But honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.