“I did warn you that it might be a guy you're hitting on!”, Dean teases, after they've been on the road for some time. “Well, he did look like Marilyn Manson!”, Sam parries. “Who is a man!”, Dean insists. “Who looks like a woman! Come on now Dean, that was an incubus, they have means of seducing people!”, Sam gives back annoyed. “They seduce women! It's succubi who hunt men!”, Dean corrects. “Maybe he identified as a succubi!”, Sam pouts. Somehow this silences Dean and Sam looks over to him worried. They pass a big green sign, welcoming strangers to a new city.
Dean seems lost in thought, but then asks: “What did he mean, when he said Samantha had told them about Cass and me? What about us?” Sam has to swallow, but tries to deflect the question by claiming: “Come on Dean, it's not the first time some demon made fun of your special bond. Remember, even the other angels keep picking on you two for it!” But his older brother shoots back: “He wasn't trying to make fun, Sam! He was stating it in a matter-of-fact way. You never really told me about what went down with that witch and how you got rid of her and the spell, whatever it was! So don't give me that...” “Look out Dean!”, Sam cries, as two headlights are coming straight at them. “Whoa, shit!”, Dean curses, yanking at the wheel to evade a collision, as a truck passes them, honking loudly. Dean brings them back on track and the Winchester's spend a few moments in silence, until Sam notes: “Back in redneck county alright.”, making Dean burst out laughing.
✝✝✝
They reach the outlines of a town, just as it starts to rain. When Dean pulls up to a small cottage with a little sign in the window saying 'Rooms for rent', Sam starts to notice, that the streets and houses seem awfully familiar. Dean parks the car and is about to get out, when Sam holds him back: “Wait. We should leave. I think we've been here before!” “So?”, Dean asks in return, but then realizes, that they might not have left here on the best terms either. Just then, there is movement behind one of the curtains and the lights at the front door turn on. “Oh shit! Look Dean, I don't know how much we stole here, but...”, Sam starts, but his brother cuts in: “What do you mean, you don't know?” “Well, you insisted on paying for everything, and I don't know what method you used!”, Sam calls out, panicking as a small, bulky figure under a black umbrella exits the door and scurries toward the Impala.
“How come I don't remember it then?”, Dean scolds, but then there is a knock on the glass. Trying to stay calm, Dean rolls down the window and puts on his best 'What's-the-matter-officer?'-face, only to receive a big smile from a little old lady in a purple cardigan, piping: “I knew I recognize that car! Do you boys need a place to stay again? The flat's empty you know, pretty much left untouched. We just don't get visitors that often no more, and you gentlemen were so kind to leave everything clean. That was so nice! Oh, say dear, where's your better half?” She's looking around in the car, Dean, keeping the smile plastered on his face, turns to Sam to hiss: “What's she on about?”, and Sam leans forward to lie: “Ah, will come later. Had to go, um... family matters!”
The old lady looks at them with worry, then wheezes: “Oh my. I hope they finally accepted your liaison, dear! Really, any family should be proud to have you as a son-in-law!” Then she changes back into a cheerful mood, and without noticing Dean's horrid gaze, adds: “By the way love, you left a little something, last you were here, you naughty boy! I let the box stay under the bed, because I didn't know if you'd come back for it. My dear husband didn't want it under his roof. He said: 'No Martha, leave it there, that's nothing for us at our age!' And well, I don't know who else in town could have use for the stuff. But I guess that's the idea, hehe! I'll get you your keys now.”
And with that she leaves the two hunters to sit in the car, the rain drumming on the roof. Dean fixates Sam with wide open eyes that read 'WTF?' in neon lighting, but Sam turns away, embarrassed. They get the keys and Sam directs Dean to the apartment They're almost there, when Dean decides to pop the question: “So... I'm married?” Sam inhales sharply, then just nods. Dean looks at his ring, rubs it with his thumb again and confesses: “You know, I kind of thought that something like that happened. That's why I didn't like sleeping alone, right? And why it feels so good to wear this blasted thing... Thinking there is someone out there, who cares.” Sam decides not to comment on that, and they arrive at the flat in silence.
✝✝✝
The brothers avoid each other and keep to themselves, until... “OH MY FUCKING GOD!!! WHAT IS ALL THIS? WHAT THE...”, Sam hears his brother yelling from his room. He hurries to come to his aid, and stops in the doorway to scan the scene. Then he bursts out laughing, as he stares at the objects scattered on the table. “THAT'S NOT FUNNY SAM! MOST OF THESE ARE FOR... you know... rectal stuff.”, Dean wails, but Sam just has to laugh even harder, when he sees how utterly shocked his bro is, overlooking the load of sex toys spread out before him. An empty cardboard box is lying at his feet, and the whole room smells of new plastic from the various dildos, butt plugs, vibrators and S-M-accessories, but also of rose and vanilla, like the massage candles that are sticking out between lube, oil and an XXL-condom box.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
Dean is still staring at the heap, eyes wide with fear, hands clinging to the sides of his head, when he whispers: “Holy shit, what was Samantha planning to do to me?” Sam chuckles and can barely stop himself from saying: 'I'd rather ask what you were planning to do to Cass', and so simply replies: “Yeah, you had your work cut out for you... either way.” “Sam?”, Dean quietly asks. “Yeah?”, he gives back. Dean, not taking his eyes of the table, backs up towards his little brother, and hugs him, saying: “Thanks. For saving me from that witch. Can I... can I come sleep with you tonight again?” First Sam furrows his brows, a little uneasy, but then decides: “Yeah, alright.” “Thanks.”, his brother huffs relieved and he returns: “Don't mention it.”
As Sam doesn't want Dean to find out the truth, he shields him from the townsfolk by taking care of their breakfast next day. He's surprised to find out, that none of their payments got canceled, as everyone is still friendly and supportive towards him. He even gets free doughnuts at the bakers, as she explains: “Your cute brother and his husband really helped our towns economy! We were able to pay off some of our dept, thanks to the catering job! Ella, the florist, got new furniture! And Jacob, the goldsmith, him and Francis went off on holidays for the first time in twenty years! Oh yes, and Cindy, the girl from the library, she and Nadia finally came out to their families! You know, Nadia, the gal that got your hair fixed before service! Oh they make such a cute couple...”
She would have gone on and on, had not another customer entered the bakery, giving Sam a chance to escape. 'My God', he thinks, 'how did Dean pay for all that? I hope he didn't use our legal savings for this... Dammit! Oh well, at least one town where we're actually remembered as saints and not as wanted criminals...'. Luckily, he doesn't have to use a lot of persuasion, to get Dean to leave again as soon as they had breakfast. He writes a note for the landlady, explaining, why they have to leave, and places it on the kitchen counter, together with the money they owe.
✝✝✝
It starts to rain again, so Dean slows his pace, as they drive down the road leading out of town. He again muses: “You know Sam, it feels really weird, not knowing what happened to me! I mean, why did I marry her? And why doesn't her family like me? Does she even have family?“ He looks at his bro confused, but Sam just scoots around in his seat, avoiding eye contact. And then Dean asks: “By the way, what was Cass' role in all this? How does he fit in? Why would Samantha be pissed about our bond, if she got to marry me... and probably do stuff to me that I don't even wanna remember! I mean, she was in my bedroom, leaving all these... things. And she dropped her engagement ring, so something must have gone down! How did you guys get me out of that?” Sam's now very uncomfortable, and keeps looking out the window, observing the fields, trees, a lonely bench...
Suddenly Dean slams on the brakes, and they slide to a stop, throwing Sam forward “What the hell, Dean”“, he shrieks, finally meeting his brothers eyes, but pulls back when he sees the look he's giving him. Dean keeps wandering with his eyes from Sam to the bench outside and back. He's breathing heavily, sweat forming on his forehead, and his lip starts to twitch. “Dean? You alright?”, Sam tries. “No. Samantha was never the problem, was she?”, Dean gives back. He pulls out his wallet, his hands shaking. He opens it and lets the ring fall into his open hand. “I never gave it a second look! But this makes no sense, why should Samantha leave her ring behind? And if it dropped, after Cass smote her, why would he be in tears? If he just saved me? It makes no sense! Damn, I feel like freakin Frodo!”, he rambles, picking up the ring with two fingers, the little wings around the gem facing him. And then he reads aloud: “To my angel Castiel, forever yours, Dean... I got married to Cass?”
Sam's heart hurts when he sees in what distress his brother is again, shaking, looking like he's going to cry. He's about to comfort him, when he bursts out: “Why didn't you tell me!?! What else did I put him through?” Sam's surprised and stutters: “Whoa-Wait what? I... well... you...” “How did this happen? What did I do to him? Is that why he's not coming back?”, Dean rages on. “Well I... I really can't say, Dean, I wasn't with you all the time!”, Sam explains, “It's just, this Samantha concocted a love potion, you drank it, and when you opened your eyes, Cass was the first person you looked at, so you fell in love with him! And since then, he had to stay with you, because leaving you, would have killed you! When he tried it at the beginning, you started slashing your wrists, because you couldn't stand it! So he stayed with you, didn't leave your sight, and when you tried to seduce him, he told you to get married first...”
“I DID WHAT???”, Dean yells in panic, but Sam shouts: “See, that's why I didn't tell you, cuz I knew you'd freak out!” He braces himself for another onslaught of accusations, but Dean just quietly starts to cry. He keeps looking outside at the bench, while the rain keeps pounding on the car. Sam turns around to the sight and suddenly asks: “Wait, did you remember something? Is that where you guys kissed for three hours... oh.” He realizes too late, that he's blurting out something very awkward for his brother, and really, Dean's eyes get even bigger, he has to breathe through his mouth, and his voice is thin when he asks: “What? I forced him to kiss me? F-for three hours?”
“Well not three hours, first you were walking through the fields, and then you talked on the bench and then you got stressed again, so it wasn't a full three hours.”, Sam repeats Castiel's words, but Dean is still wound up: “What do you mean, I got stressed? What about Cass, I must have scared the shit out of him! I... I hurt him, right?” Sam furrows his brows, finally admitting: “I don't know! He wouldn't tell me everything, he just said, when you started having another fever, he let you kiss him. You were so set on expressing your 'love' for him, that you got really agitated, if you couldn't do something for him, like cook, or clean, or buy him flowers, or cuddle him, or fu... I mean... you know, do what lovers do! That's why he said you need to get married, cuz it stopped you trying to, um... have sex with him.”
✝✝✝