Chapter Text
Sam Winchester was slightly alarmed when he arrived home and found his brother with a bottle of Jack Daniels and several real estate brochures spread out on the kitchen table in front of him.
“Hey.” Sam set down his bag (a present from Jessica) and asked, “Starting a little early, aren’t we?”
“Don’t bother me,” Dean muttered. “I’m in the middle of something.”
“Well, I can see that,” Sam replied, gesturing to the half empty bottle.
“Not just that,” Dean went on. “I’m having a breakthrough…or a breakdown. Not sure which.”
Sam laughed and grabbed himself a glass from the counter. “Well, how about I join you, then?”
Dean gestured grandly at the empty seat.
Sam sat and poured himself a glass. “So, what’s this all?” He picked up one of the brochures littering the table. “Bodega Bay? Isn’t that up near Santa Rosa?”
Dean hiccupped. “Sorry. Cas…Cas wants to buy a condo, a ‘weekend place.’” Dean made rather disturbing air quotes with his fingers.
“Oh, really?” Cas hadn’t mentioned it during their last lunch, but then they had been rather preoccupied discussing Sam and Gabriel’s latest case.
“Yeah, really.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
Dean stared at him for a moment and burst out in laughter. “What’s the problem?” he repeated in a rather unfair imitation of Sam. “The problem is he wants to go look at them this weekend, and he wants me to narrow it down to my ‘top five.’” Dean picked up his glass, drained what was left in it, then slammed it down again hard enough to shake the table.
Sam stared at his brother, bewildered. “Okay?”
“Sam!” Dean pushed his glass across the table. “I couldn’t afford to rent one of these places for a weekend. And Cas wants me to narrow them down for him. Like I matter, like I could possibly have a say in what ocean view condo he buys.”
Ah, Sam was beginning to catch on. “Well, Cas values your opinion.”
“Oh, sure, take his side.” Dean waved his hand. “’Dean, I value your opinion. It makes sense to have you weigh in’ that’s what he said! Like it’s perfectly natural.”
Dean went to pour himself another glass when Sam snatched the bottle away. “Why don’t you switch to beer?”
“Okay.” Dean agreeing so easily was a clear sign he’d already had way too much. Sam got up and got him a beer from the fridge. Dean didn’t have to work tomorrow, so he could spend the day in hangover induced misery.
“So,” Dean went on, “he wants me to pick, and you know…there’s no prices on these brochures. Or on the listings.” Dean produced another handful of paper from somewhere. “I mean, there were, but Cas had the real estate lady black them out. There’s a lot of black ink on here, Sam, like it was a long number she was inking out.”
Sam finished his drink and poured himself another one. “So what you’re saying is, it just occurred to you that you are dating someone who can afford a million dollar weekend place?” He raised his eyebrows.
“No.” Dean pointed at him unsteadily. “I knew that a while ago. I mean, have you seen his apartment?”
“No, Dean, I haven’t.”
“Well, s’awesome. S’not that. He wants me to narrow down the million dollar places. I mean, me, Sam. I don’t know anything about this stuff.” He grabbed a paper and tossed it at Sam. “I mean, there’s this one, ‘steps from the beach,’ and this one has ‘private views,’ whatever that is, and then this one, this one, Sam, has an awesome bathroom, awesome, two person tub, steam shower and everything, but the bedrooms are smaller. And then this one,“ Dean brandished another flyer, “has a cute little breakfast nook. A breakfast nook, Sam! I am debating breakfast nooks versus steam showers.” Dean swept the papers away and opened his beer.
Sam was trying to contain his laughter. There was nothing like his brother - Dean, the guy who always had a plan, a solution for everything - reduced to near incoherence by steam showers and breakfast nooks.
“Come on, Dean, this isn’t that hard.” Sam stepped in to help, almost relishing that this time he could give his older brother advice. “So, awesome bathroom place, that’s on the list, right?”
“Yeah,” Dean handed over one of the flyers. Sam glanced at it, and damn, that was a nice bathroom.
“Okay, and the breakfast nook place is on the list, too?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Okay where is that…?”
“Oh, it’s over by the dishwasher.”
Sam sighed as he got up and retrieved the flyer from the floor. “Okay, so you need three more.” He flipped through them. All of the places were nice. Maybe once Cas bought a place, he and Jess could get an invitation up for a weekend. A weekend trip with his brother and his boss. That wouldn’t be too awkward, right?
“Here,” Dean said. “Add ‘Private Views’ to the pile. At least it sounds dirty.”
“Okay, and how about this one? It has a wrap-around deck. Think of how awesome that would be on warm nights?” Sam could picture it already, him and Jess together on a deck chair, listening to the ocean…
“Sure,” Dean burped, then belatedly covered his mouth. “Sorry.” He studied the floor plan. “Maybe we could put in a jacuzzi.”
Sam smiled. “So you’re okay with planning improvements to Cas’s hypothetical weekend place, just not picking them out?”
“Just saying, there’s plenty of space.”
“Sure.”
***
Dean walked out onto the wrap-around deck. This was certainly his favorite place so far. It was a smaller development, tucked away in a private cove.
He heard Cas behind him and turned around, back against the railing.
“So, what do you think of this one?” Cas asked
“Well, I like the view.”
Cas stood beside him. “I do as well, and this area borders a nature preserve, so there won’t be any further development. I think the property values will only increase.”
“Uh huh.”
Cas glanced at him. “I know the bathrooms are not as nice here as the last place, but really, we could redo them.”
Dean laughed. As if he ever could afford a remodel on a place like this.
Cas cocked his head at him. “What’s wrong?”
“I was just wondering why you’re looking to buy a place. I mean, can’t you use the firm’s condo whenever?”
“I have to share it with the other partners. I’d like a place that is just mine. Plus, I was thinking it would be nice to move up here when I retire.”
Dean snorted. “Are you thinking about retiring already?” But then, Cas probably could afford it. Dean felt a pang, suddenly worried about Cas moving way up here. They would never see each other.
“It’s never too soon to start planning,” Cas said reasonably. “I’m told this is a good market to buy in.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Dean should probably be more upbeat about this. He glanced around, remembering his conversation with Sam. “You could probably put a jacuzzi in here.” Dean leaned over and whispered in his ear, “I know how you like skinny dipping.”
Cas laughed. But before he could say anything, the realtor, who had silently come up behind them, interrupted. “Actually, the unit upstairs just came on the market a few days ago and it already has a jacuzzi. Would you like to take a look?”
They followed her up the stairs. “Now, this unit is a bit bigger - three bedrooms instead of two, but I’m sure you’ll agree the view is even better higher up.” She fumbled with the keys. “And here you are. The kitchen was redone recently and I happen to know the seller is very motivated.”
The realtor told them to take their time, and she would wait in the living room. Dean glanced around, then headed out onto the deck again. The jacuzzi was tucked away in a corner, still leaving plenty of space for a barbeque and some deck chairs. Dean caught himself imagining some tiki torches and one of those moveable fire pit things. He shook his head.
Cas joined him on the deck. “The bedrooms are a little smaller, but I do like the larger living room.” He smiled at Dean. “There is even a steam shower in the bathroom.”
Dean laughed, but felt compelled to add, “Cas, I don’t know why you care what I would like. This is going to be your place.”
Cas frowned at him. “Dean,” he said. “I care about what you think about this place because I plan on spending time with you here every chance I can.”
Dean actually blushed, but before he could respond Cas went on, “That first weekend we spent together, even though we were not being entirely honest with each other, it was the best time I had in a long while.”
Dean found his voice. “I felt that way, too.”
“You did?” Cas smiled.
“Yeah, but Cas…I mean…” he cleared his throat noisily. “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me. Sam’s the smart one--“
“I don’t believe that,” Cas said firmly. “And neither does Sam.”
Dean grimaced. “I’m just a mechanic. I’m not the type of person that has…” He gestured to the condo. “Places like this.”
Cas was silent for a moment. Dean listened to the pounding of the waves on the shore.
“Dean, perhaps we should have had this conversation someplace else, but I’m not the person that usually has…someone like you, and by that I mean someone who devotes himself so fully to the people he cares about. I want you to feel that way about me, and I want you to share everything I have.”
Dean tried to smile, but it kept breaking apart. “Do you mean that? You want me to love you?”
Cas smiled at him. “Yes, I want you to love me the way I love you.”
“Oh, Cas.” Dean swallowed. “I love you too.” And then, nosy realtor be damned, he wrapped Cas in a giant hug. “You know, you totally have to get this place now.”
“I think that can be arranged,” Cas whispered in his ear.
The resulting embrace was clearly visible through the glass doors. The realtor smiled to herself as she saw it. She was totally going to get this commission, and then she was going to spend a week with her toes in the sand in San Diego.