Dean surfaced from sleep the way a drowning man surfaces from a mirror lake. Explosively, with a sudden gasp of air and a lurch upright.

He blinked sleep from his eyes as he looked around the darkened hotel room. The sheets next to him where Chloe had slept were wrinkled – but she'd obviously made no effort to return to bed that morning, and in fact, wasn't in the room.

Dean shook his head remorsefully at the loss. He wasn't by nature a touchy-feely sort. But Chloe was like a drug – one he couldn't get enough of. To make matters worse, she was still holding him at arms length.

Ostensibly, they had yet to take their relationship to the next level because she wanted Dean to do some soul searching and find some sort of self worth. But Dean was really pretty sure that there was more to it than that.

Chloe had her own issues – although Dean wasn't sure what they were. He had some idea that thye might be tied into cousin Clark, and some of the bad dating experiences that she'd had in high school. Sam might have a better idea – but Dean would be damned if he'd ask. There were some boundaries that just shouldn't be crossed.

Beyond that – Chloe just didn't seem aware that she was a beautiful, desirable, highly sexual being – and that it was nothing to be afraid or ashamed of. Problem was that when you looked past all the sarcasm, she was as skittish as a baby deer. Dean just didn't know how to get past her defenses without having her bolt on him.

What it boiled down to was an issue of trust. She didn't yet trust him enough to let him be the one to guard her heart. Until then – he had the feeling that he wouldn't get to be with her the way he wanted to.

It was frustrating. On one hand, he didn't' want to push things. That would be a real good way to lose Chloe forever. On the other hand, he hadn't had any female companionship since meeting her.

That really hadn't started as a conscious decision on his part. He'd simply fallen into a pattern of spending time with her, rather than chatting up random women. Before long, she'd gotten the starring role in his fantasies.

Fantasizing about Chloe was one thing, but then he'd caught himself acting like a fricking pansey – doing emo crap that he would totally give Sam shit over. Like swiping her hair doo-dads because they carried her unique smell.

With a rueful shake of his head, Dean realized that he was in so much deeper with Chloe than he ever thought he would be. He counsoled himself with thoughts of all the things that he was going to do to her when he finally did get her to drop her guard and let him in.

***

After Dean burned the edge off his desire, he went in search of Chloe. She wasn't in Sam's room – So he assumed they were out somewhere learning to breathe through their navels.

For the past couple of weeks, the two of them had been delving inot eastern philosiphy for idea on how to train Sam's brain to use his powers.

Dean wasn't sure how he felt about Sam learning to move things with his brain. On one hand – with the job they did – Any edge was a good edge. On the other – it was kinda freaky. Not that he would tell either of them that.

He found Sam and Chloe both sitting on a picnic table with legs crossed like yoga gurus, facing each other in meditation. Chloe was wearing some of those curve-hugging yoga clothes that chicks dug so much. Okay, he kind of dug them too. As long as they were one someone completely hot like Chloe.

Dean sat next to her, rested his chin in his hand, and admired the way she looked in that tight little outfit.

“You guys learn how to breathe out of your goofy-damn eyelids yet?”

Chloe opened one eye to look at him, then closed it again. “You really want me thinking of Kevin Costner?”

“You a fan of Costner?”

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers.”

“You sound like him,” Sam muttered quietly. He too, kept his eyes shut.

“He's rubbing off,” Chloe said in the same tone of voice.

“I wish,” Dean muttered. “I'm sitting right here, by the way.”

“And you look so cute with bed head,” Chloe opened her eyes fully, and bent at the waist to kiss him good morning.

“You guys have to do that here?” Sam asked as he opened his eyes. Chloe and Dean looked at each other and smirked.

“Oh yeah!” Dean said. “So you two done here?”

“I guess so. My chi is about as balanced as it's going to get today,” Sam said with a huff as he unfolded himself.

“Good – because my chi wants steak and eggs.”

“Dude! You really ought to eat better,” Sam said.

“What? Like that granola crap you eat?” Dean said.

“Kashi,” Sam corrected mildly. “All I'm saying is you should treat your body better.”

“I treat my body like a temple.” Dean protested.

“Maybe one of those Roman temples where they held all the orgies,” Sam replied. “I'm serious Dean. With half the garbage you eat --”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, auntie Sam.” Dean waved the lecture off. “I can't start the day right unless I gets me some dead cow and a side of something a chicken sat on.”

Sam rolled his eyes, and glanced over at Chloe's amused expression. “What do you see in him?”

“He has hidden depths,” Chloe said.

“Huh,” Sam said. “Didn't know that you were like Dr. Livingstone.”

Dean frowned at Sam. “Who?”

Chloe giggled. “Does that make you Stanley?”

“Maybe,” Sam grinned.

“You guys have got to stop fangirling,” Dean shook his head.