Cowboys and Angels (A Dean Winchester/ Supernatural FanFiction)

Chapter 23: Nashville Without You

A/N #1: Another song that's SUPER important to this story-- I would recommend giving it a listen (but of course you don't have to). Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys~

Chapter 23: Nashville Without You

Tenebris pulled herself up the hill, neighing quietly as we cleared the crest of the slope and descended onto the other side. Dean's chest was pressed firmly against my back, his breath tickling the back of my neck, sending a small shiver down my spine.

"Where are we going," the hunter asked, peeking over my shoulder as we came upon a small clearing. Tenebris trotted happily along, her hooves making a satisfying clicking sound when they made contact with the ground.

"You'll see," was my only reply, and with that, a comfortable silence settled between us again. The horse moved slowly and smoothly through the grass as it grew taller and taller, enough to brush the bottom of my heeled combat boots as we proceeded. A line of trees came into view in the distance, and I pushed Tenebris to a slow canter, her strong form pushing the grass aside, the tree line fast approaching.

Dean was looking around somewhat mystified, his green eyes scanning the field around us, watching as birds pushed themselves off the ground and into the clear blue sky in flocks, and as insects hopped back and forth within the stalks. Eventually the grass finally dwindled, and we pushed on under the shade of the canopy now above us, the green leaves of the oak trees and needles of the pine trees shielding us from the sun.

A cold breeze, possibly a product of the oncoming fall, rustling the undergrowth, tracing its way through the branches and knocking the leaves from their perches down onto us. I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath—fresh air was a hard thing to come by these days. Then, the sound of water washing upon a shore reached my ears, and I opened my eyes, pulling back on the reigns, urging Tenebris to stop.

Laid out before us was a small lake, its waves gently lapping the bank, the sun reflected on the seemingly crystal surface. I swung my leg over and Dean followed suit, taking the basket as I took Tenebris' reigns and tied them to a nearby branch so she could reach the water of the lake in case she was thirsty. Reaching for her saddle bag, I unbuttoned it, pulling out a small blanket and unrolling it.

Dean had settled under a small silver oak tree near the shore, leaning against the trunk, its leaves tinted yellow and orange, the hunter looking over at me almost endearingly. I made my way over, throwing the blanket down at the base of the tree before sliding down onto it, the older brother following suit and sitting beside me.

We unloaded the food from the basket, and I was pleasantly surprised to find he had taken the time to make us sandwiches. He passed me mine, a ham and cheese sandwich, and I unwrapped it, taking a large bite out of it. I looked over to find the hunter looking at me, eyebrows raised, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"I didn't eat breakfast," I mumbled through a mouthful of food, and Dean rolled his eyes.

"We need to start feeding you before we go anywhere," he replied taking a bite of his sandwich. "You keep forgetting to feed yourself."

"Eating is overrated—I have better things to do," I swallowed before replying and shrugging. "Like kill demons and keep Abbadon on her toes."

"Yes, but you can do that on a full stomach," he sighed, nudging my arms with his elbow before finishing his sandwich and wiping his hands on a napkin. I smiled, finishing off my sandwich as well, reaching into the basket to see what else he had put in there. I would say much to my surprise, but I wasn't surprised at all, at the bottom was the cherry pie Cas had carefully picked out.