[h3] Annabeth [/h3]

“So, why do you look like you want to kill everyone all the sudden?”, Annabeth asked as she stepped up behind Cason.  He was trying to figure out the best way to get into the car, with Nat’s bag on his shoulder, “Did you try the handle?”

Cason turned to glare at her, but she passed him quickly and pulled the backseat door open with her eyebrows raised.  Huffing, he tossed Nat’s bag in the backseat and stepped back to shove his hands in his jacket pockets, “I don’t honestly want to talk about it with you, of all people.  And if you must know…I’m feeling a bit under appreciated right now.  Can you get in the car?”

“No.”, Anna said simply, crossing her arms to stare at him.  She rolled her eyes and shifted to one leg, “You’re feeling under appreciated because Esme isn’t interested in your bullshit, while she’s resting?  Seems a little extreme.  Also, I never said I didn’t appreciate you.  I’m just still healing from the whiplash of finding out that the man I’ve been sleeping with for the past five years is a demon.  Takes a minute, you know?”

“So, you’re cool with going on a date with me?”, Cason asked, his tone aggravated but hopeful.  Anna shrugged.

“Why not?  I mean, Sam is gonna be there.  So, I don’t have to worry about you trying to get back with me, and I know you’re not going to do anything too stupid and get everyone killed.  Let’s date!”, Anna reached a hand out and slapped his arm roughly, as she glanced over and saw Nat walking toward them.  She stepped past him and crawled into the backseat, scooting Nat’s bag over, and then tossing her own backpack on top of it.

[h3] Dean Winchester [/h3]

Dean reached carefully for Nat as she snapped at Mika and quickly closed everything up, walking to her car.  He sighed, and wiped that hand through his hair, before dropping that hand to his side and turning to Mika with his eyebrows raised, “Honestly?  It’s stuff she’s never really talked about, and I don’t even know where to start.  Best to just let her do this her way, I guess.  Keep her within arms reach, and save her if she gets in over her head.”

As Sam approached them, Dean simply shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, “That’s what I was just telling Mika.  It seems Cason being around her is just making things bubble up.  I hope she doesn’t snap, while he’s within proximity of too many weapons.  We need them all in one piece through this.  Let’s get this overwith, yeah?”

He tugged at Mika’s hand, and turned to walk toward the Impala.  Once there, he opened the trunk, tossing his bag inside, and then quickly walked around to the drivers side.  The stress was already running high and no one had even pulled a gun.  Dean took one more glance at Nat’s car, before he sighed and sat down in the drivers seat.

[h3] Duke [/h3]

Duke smiled a gently, his eyes a bit tired and hazy as he stared at her face and the words ‘I know’ left her lips.  He stayed still as she brought her hand to his cheek and her lips brushed over his as she spoke, but then his brow furrowed.  He pulled his hand down to cup her cheek, his fingers wrapping around her jaw.  He brushed his thumb under her eye, and then pulled that hand away to brush the tears from the other side of her face and he shook his head, “You deserve to hear them every day.  I ain’t nothin special, but I’ll volunteer.”

He teased her with a small smile, but as she pulled him closer, his smile began to fade into a pleasant smirk, and he gladly kissed her back.  Having her initiating a kiss just sent his heart running off somewhere even further into the distance, away from him. He tightened his hand around her jaw and deepened the kiss, leaning her back quickly, this time.  As he caged her in, he tangled his legs with hers carefully, trying to avoid her injuries.

His fingers traced the top of the towel around her chest, and he paused as the knock at the door pulled a flinch from him.  He pulled from the kiss and sighed in frustration, pressing his forehead tightly to hers, “Pizza got here pretty quick.”, he laughed breathlessly, stroking his fingers across her cheek before scooting back off the bed.  He tightened the towel around his waist and walked to the door to grab the pizza.  He swiped his wallet from the dresser, and pulled a bill from it, before opening the door of the room with a wide smile.  When he turned around, he had a large box in his hand, and he closed the door, wiggling his eyebrows, “Now…to seduce the lady with food.”