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It’s only a few days after they rescue Cas from the Empty before Dean announces he’s decided to quit hunting. Sam’s not surprised. His brother never really wanted this life. Over the years Dean’s talked about getting out, finding a beach somewhere with some hula girls and little umbrella drinks, so it makes sense that he’d jump at it first chance he got.
Of course, he drags Cas along with him. When they pack up and take off on a road trip to the West Coast, Sam doesn’t even blink. He’s glad Cas is going so he doesn’t have to. After years on the road, he’s ready for a break of his own.
They return after a few weeks, tanned and smiling, and Sam’s never been happier for his brother. The look on Dean's face every time he talks about their trip is like nothing Sam’s ever seen before. It’s not even until the second day that Sam learns they went to Vegas.
“Wait, I thought you went to the beach?” he asks over breakfast.
“We did,” Dean explains, “but it was a road trip, remember?”
“We visited quite a few places.” Cas interjects, his mouth half full. He’s still retained some of his angelic abilities, but somehow he’s more human too. Dean has been cooking every meal since they got back, excited about introducing Cas to new things, and Sam’s been more than happy to reap the benefits. This morning, it’s chocolate chip banana pancakes.
“Yeah, I decided to teach Cas how to play Blackjack. Turns out, he’s a fucking savant or some shit. They actually made us leave after we visited the poker table, because they thought he was counting cards.” Dean laughs at the memory.
Noted. Sam thinks. Don’t play poker with Cas.
“Good thing your skills stop at strategy games, so I have the chance of beating you at something.” Cas seems unfazed by Dean’s taunt, and when he catches the look they exchange, Sam can’t help but wonder what inside joke he’s missing.
Eileen comes to stay with them, and Sam is over the moon. He’s been missing her like crazy, but she had made it clear that now that the Men of Letters aren’t after her, she needed to go back to Ireland for a while to finalize some things with her parent’s estate. Sam doesn’t exactly have a legal passport, and he’s not sure he could get one now that he’s supposedly dead several times over, so he stayed behind.
On her third night back, Dean convinces everyone to do “family game night”. Sam wasn’t sure what he expected, but it definitely wasn’t for his brother to pull out The Newlywed Game. Where did Dean even get it?
While Cas and Eileen chat in the corner, their hands moving so fast even Sam can’t keep up, he hurriedly pulls Dean aside.
“The Newlywed Game? Really, Dean?”
“What?” Dean protests, and he doesn’t even try to hide his gleeful grin.
“You know what!” Sam huffs. “It’s for married couples!”
“So?” he questions, and Sam can’t help but be a little annoyed at his brother’s obtuse nature.
“So we aren’t married!”
Dean rolls his eyes, clearly not concerned. “Sam, it’s fine. It’s just a game to see how well you know your partner. It’s not like I’m about to put an announcement in the local paper for you and Eileen or something.” He pauses, giving Sam a sly grin. “Unless you want that, of course?”
Sam balks. “Dude, no! There’s no way we’re ready for that.”
“Ok fine then, no worries. I’ll just make sure Eileen knows it was my idea, and that I’m not implying anything about you guys with it. I really don’t think it’s a big deal though.”
Sam glances over to where Cas and Eileen are still talking, considering his options. “No, you’re right. I mean, you’re playing with Cas, right?”
“Obviously,” Dean reassures, and yeah, ok. This is fine. It’s just the four of them playing a game, it’s not a big deal.
“Ok, let’s play.”
Dean and Cas stomp their butts. Granted, they skip over all of the sex-oriented questions, but still! Sam supposes he shouldn’t be that surprised, since Dean and Cas have been best friends for over ten years, while he and Eileen haven’t been together that long, but they spent most of their time together trying to save the world from ending! So needless to say, when Cas correctly guesses Dean’s favorite scent of all things, Sam’s a little thrown.
“Ok, you two have to be cheating.” He insists as they mark yet another question correct. “How could Cas possibly know that?!”
Cas just smiles knowingly. “Dean’s not that hard to figure out if you pay attention. Once you understand the signs, he’s actually fairly obvious.”
“And you know ‘the signs’?” Sam questions, and he’s been around Cas too long, because he’s using finger quotes.
“I do now,” is all the reply he gets.
He glares at the scoreboard, where Dean and Cas show twenty versus his and Eileen’s ten, and he decides to call it. “Ok, we need a new game. Who’s up for Taboo?”
Sam had been confident this would be an easier win. Taboo is all about describing something without using certain keywords, so he figured Dean and Cas would fumble almost immediately. Dean's always comparing everything to some obscure pop culture reference, none of which Cas ever understands, and Cas is both literal and metaphysical in his descriptions of anything, to the point Sam’s not sure how anyone’s ever understood him. He and Eileen surely have this one in the bag.
Or not.
Clearly he underestimated how much their history would give them an advantage. They skip right over standard explanations and use inside jokes and experiences to reference anything, to the point where even Sam is completely lost. At first it’s almost comical, like when Dean asks Cas “the thing I couldn’t stop eating in San Diego” (fish tacos), or when Cas says “I told you that you do this, but you insist that you don’t” (snore). But when they get the word chapel because Dean described it as “that place in Vegas with the fake Elvis,” Sam’s at his wits end.
“Are you serious??” he blurts out. “You’re beating us even worse at this game than the last one! How?”
Dean just grins at him, the one where his tongue pokes out a little between his teeth, and winks exaggeratedly.
“Ugh,” Sam moans. “I give up.”
Eileen rubs his arm in consolation, but even she’s not able to hide her smile. “Sorry, Sam, but I think they are just a better couple than us.”
Sam rolls his eyes. “More like a couple of assholes,” he mutters, just loud enough where he knows Dean and Cas can hear, and he can’t help but smile too when Dean bursts out laughing. Yes, he’s competitive, and he wanted him and Eileen to win, but he can’t be too mad when Dean’s face is lit up that bright.
Later, as they climb into bed, Eileen brings it up. “Dean and Cas seem really happy.”
“I think so,” Sam agrees. He pulls her into his arms, reveling in the opportunity to hold her. He’ll never take this for granted again. “What about you?” he signs awkwardly, trying to move his arms without pulling away. “Are you happy?”
“I’m alive,” she replies. “Every day is a reason to be happy.”
“Yeah, but you know what I mean,” he pushes, wanting more. Are you happy here? With me?
Her answering smile is soft, full of warm affection. “Very.”
“Where are we going Dean?” Sam asks for what feels like the hundredth time as he stares out the window at endless fields.
“Hold your horses, ok? I said it was a surprise.” Dean reaches over to switch out the cassette and cranks up the volume as “Ramble On” starts to play, drumming his hands along to the beat against the steering wheel of the Impala.
Over the past two weeks, Dean has been going out every day, spending hours away from the bunker. Sometimes he goes alone, sometimes he takes Cas along, but he’s been very secretive about what he’s up to, and Sam’s hoping to finally get some answers. Dean’s never been quite this cagey before, and he knows Dean quit hunting, but that just makes it all even more suspicious. If it weren’t for how excited he is to finally share whatever he’s been doing, Sam would think it was something dangerous. Why else would he keep it a secret?
They pass a sign informing them they’re close to Dodge City.
“Dean, I swear on my life, if you drug me out here to show me some random cowboy’s tombstone or something, I’m going to be pissed.”
“Sam, relax!” Dean exclaims, clearly growing impatient. “Can you just trust me?”
Sam can’t help the huff that escapes, but he settles back in his seat and stares back out the window. They haven’t been in the car that long, but it feels like forever. Most of his life has been spent in this car, most of the last fifteen years spent riding shotgun, and still he’s never been more anxious to get out of the car than he is now. Over the last few weeks, he’s spent the majority of his time in the Bunker, enjoying quality time with his family and busting his ass to establish a working hunter network, and all that time in one place has really solidified his desire to put down roots.
He still wants to be a hunter, but the idea of driving hours on end to go track down some big nasty makes his skin crawl. He only has so much life ahead of him, and he’s realized he doesn’t want to spend it cooped up in the car. Maybe that’s why he’s so eager to see the hunter community become more organized. Sam ran away from hunting when he believed he had to choose between hunting and a life. But he’s come to see that people can (and should) be able to have both. And now he’s going to help make that happen.
He’s pulled out of his musings as they turn off onto a dirt road. There are a few trees lining the path, and as they wind their way down the narrow lane, Sam realizes it’s not a road at all, but a driveway, leading to a house. It’s a cozy looking single story home, the exterior a blend of gray stone and dark wood. There’s a wrap-around porch along the front that leads to the left side, and what appears to be an attached garage on the right.
“Ok, whose house is this?” He asks, still unclear what they’re doing here. When he glances over to Dean, he notes his brother looks uncharacteristically nervous.
“Uhm… It’s mine.” Dean looks up at the house in front of them. “Or, at least it will be when I give them the deposit.”
Sam’s more than a little stunned. But before he can say anything, Dean turns to him and asks if he wants to see the place, so he just nods and follows his brother’s lead.
As Dean walks him through the property, he describes his ideas for living there; rocking chairs on the porch, a large dining room table for when people visit, and a guest room for when they want to stay over. He even explains where he plans to put up the Christmas tree next winter. Watching Dean talk about this place has Sam realizing how much he wants it, and by the time they get outside, he’s already seeing this as “Dean’s house.” It makes sense. He reminds himself that Dean retired from hunting months ago, so of course he wouldn’t want to stay in the Bunker forever.
As they get outside, Dean begins telling Sam about his plans for a garden. Sam gives him a quizzical look, because there’s no way he can imagine Dean growing his own food. Or voluntarily eating vegetables.
“I know, I know,” Dean says, chuckling to himself. “But Cas has always loved plants and bees and shit, so I figured it would make him happy. And now that he’s not constantly racing off to Heaven or fighting cosmic battles, I figure he’ll need something to keep him busy.”
This makes sense too, Sam supposes, that Cas would go with Dean. He’s still adjusting to his new life on Earth, and he’ll need someone to help him settle in. Sam’s always kind of hoped Dean would find someone and settle down himself, since it seemed like something he wanted, but maybe Dean’s just decided it’s too hard. He remembers a conversation they had a few years ago, asking his brother if he ever thought about finding someone, maybe a fellow hunter. Someone who could understand him. At the time Dean hadn't seemed interested, but things were different now.
Maybe that's the problem. He isn’t hunting anymore, so he probably wouldn’t want to be in a relationship with someone in the life, but he’s been through way too much for any regular civilian to understand. It makes Sam a little sad to think of his brother all alone.
But Sam supposes Dean won’t be alone. Cas will be here.
Speaking of which . “Have you talked to Cas about it yet?”
Dean nods, smiling fondly. “I haven’t told him about the garden. That’s a surprise. But he’s seen the house and he loves it. I wouldn’t have put an offer in on a place without running it by him first.”
“Well, I love it,” Sam says. “And if you and Cas love it, that’s what matters right?”
“Right,” Dean agrees, and Sam pretends he doesn’t notice when his eyes get a little misty. Instead, he decides to change the subject.
“So… who should we invite to your housewarming party?”
It’s hot in the dining room. It’s been unseasonably warm for March, and the recent rains have made it humid too. Dean had said he was going to install central air into the house, but until that’s done, they only have fans to keep things cool, and there about two dozen people milling around, most of whom have crowded into the dining room and kitchen so they have easy access to the food and booze. Sam sees Dean laughing with Donna in the kitchen, and Cas is on the sofa in the living room talking to Claire, so he figures he’s safe to slip out for a few moments.
He cuts out the back door and onto the patio, grateful when he feels the cool air on his face. Slowly, he takes in the backyard. Dean and Cas have only been in this house about two weeks, but they’ve clearly spent a lot of their time back here. The wood has been sanded and re-stained since he saw it last. There are large wooden boxes set up, filled with dirt, where Sam assumes Cas will be doing his planting. And off to one side is a fire pit, with heavy wooden chairs surrounding it.
As he tries to imagine what Cas has been planting, he hears the back door slide open and shut, and soft footsteps approach from behind him.
“There you are,” Eileen signs when she finally reaches him. “I’ve been looking for you.”
“Sorry,” he replies. “I was hot. Needed some air.”
She makes a face that says she completely understands, then slowly looks around, taking in the space around them.
“Look,” she signs, before pointing to something behind him. “They have a hot tub.”
Sam turns to look where she is pointing, and sure enough, there’s a hot tub in the corner. He tries to remember if it was there when Dean first showed him the place a month ago, but he can’t remember. It must have been though, as it doesn’t seem like something Dean would buy for himself.
“We should ask them if we can use it,” Eileen says, interrupting his thoughts, and Sam is reminded again how lucky he is to have her in his life.
When they return to the party, it’s to discover that Dean has managed to convince Jody, Donna, Claire, Kaia, Alex, and Alex’s new boyfriend, Will, to play a game with him and Cas. Most of their other friends have left, and Garth and Bess are getting ready to head out, having left their kids with a sitter and feeling anxious to get home. Bess is pregnant again, which surprised Sam to hear, but Garth reminded him the twins are already one now, their birthday apparently missed in all the chaos of fighting Chuck and getting Cas back. Maybe this year there will be time for things like birthday parties.
Cas begins setting up the game as Dean walks them out, and Sam watches him hug them both tight; Bess first, his hands careful on her sides, protective of her belly, then Garth, with a loud rumbling laugh as their friend squeezes Dean tight and whispers something in his ear. Sam can't help but smile when he hears Garth congratulating Dean on his “new life” as he pulls away. As he glances around the room, the rightness of it all sinks in. If anyone deserves a chance at a new life, it's Dean.
Once they’re gone, Dean tries to convince Sam and Eileen to play with them, but Sam begs off. Dean prods and cajoles, determined to rope him in, but he insists on just watching. Finally, when Dean won't let it go, he admits he already believes Cas and Dean will win and isn’t interested in losing again. He and Eileen have played with them a few different times over the last couple of months, and every time Dean and Cas beat them. If Sam didn’t know better, he would assume Dean was praying all of the answers to Cas, but Cas doesn’t hear prayers anymore. Another change they've had to get used to.
Everyone else finds his statement amusing, except Claire, who seems to view it as a challenge, and soon they are split into teams, battling over who will be the scorekeeper. Jody literally takes the argument out of their hand when she snatches the scorecard off the table and declares she’ll be in charge.
They pull out a new game tonight, one called Tell Me Without Telling Me. They decide to split into two teams of four. To make it fair, they play with Jody, Donna, Claire, and Kaia on one team, and Dean, Cas, Alex, and Will on the other. Alex and Will haven’t been together long, so they fumble a bit when it’s their turn, but Dean is able to pick up some of their answers, and when he or Cas are up, they score almost immediately every time. By the end of the game, they beat the other team by five points, and Dean and Cas have managed to score all but one of their answers correctly.
“We could’ve had a perfect score if you hadn’t missed Forrest Gump.” Dean grumbles. “How could you not know that’s my favorite Tom Hanks movie?”
“Because it’s not,” Cas replies.
“Dude, yes it is!”
“No, it isn’t!” Dean opens his mouth to argue, but Cas cuts him off. “We both know your favorite Tom Hanks movie is You’ve Got Mail. I don’t know why you can’t admit that.”
“I do,” Claire murmurs. Alex snorts loudly as Dean blushes.
“Fine! Fine.” Dean raises his hand in a sign of surrender. “I like chick flicks. Sue me.”
Donna jumps in then, “It’s ok Dean, we all know you’re a closet romantic.”
“He’s not in the closet anymore,” mutters Claire, and this time Dean bursts out laughing, quickly joined by most of their friends. His face is still a little red, but it fades as he looks at Cas, who is grinning at him, his own eyes full of pride. Sam can’t help but concur with that look.
His heart swells as he watches his brother shed some of the masculine posturing he’s always clung so hard to. He remembers Dean saying “no chick flick moments” several times over the years, and being generally derisive about romance or anything else he deemed “girly” or “gay.” To see him now, surrounded by their loved ones, admitting that he likes rom-coms is huge. Sam can’t help but be proud of how much Dean has opened up over the past several years, shedding that old persona.
“Alright, alright,” Jody finally cuts in. “Who's ready to play Pictionary?”
Dean and Cas decide to throw a get together at their house for Memorial Day. Sam’s pretty sure this is at least partially their way of celebrating his birthday without having to admit it, if Dean’s questions about what foods Sam prefers are any indication. He’s thirty-eight this year, which isn’t exactly a milestone birthday, but it’s his first since Chuck’s been gone, so it makes sense Dean would feel compelled to make something of it. He’d insisted on a quiet family dinner, just him, Eileen, Dean, and Cas, and he knows Dean was disappointed he couldn’t throw him a “real” party this year. It’s no surprise he would’ve found a way around it.
At least if it’s a holiday celebration, all eyes won’t be on him, so he can hang out in the background, drinking and generally having a good time. Now that he’s unofficially in charge of the US hunter network, he’s constantly the center of someone’s attention, answering questions, planning missions, and making countless decisions. Once in a while, it feels good to have everyone’s eyes off of him and on something else. And apparently Dean is making all of his favorite foods, so he’s not complaining.
Dean and Cas have been settling into their neighborhood and have invited a couple of families they’ve recently met. It’s fascinating to see Dean in his element. He’s surrounded by hunters and civilians alike, and he manages every interaction perfectly, quick to offer a funny anecdote or a witty retort at just 5the right moment, and always, always smiling. Even Cas seems more comfortable surrounded by people than Sam has ever seen him, and his laughter occasionally drifts across the room, the sound deep and robust.
Sam smiles at the sight as he sips the home brewed beer someone brought, only to gag at the taste. Whoever made this is either clueless about beer, or they have some kind of secret vendetta against the Winchesters. He sneaks to the kitchen and surreptitiously pours the remainder down the sink. Opening the fridge, he spies a single hard lemonade in the back. Dean doesn’t normally drink fruity alcohol, so it must be Cas’s, and Sam promises himself that he’ll replace it as he chugs it down, desperate to wash the foul taste from his mouth. When the bottle is empty, he tosses it in the recycling, another thing Cas is likely responsible for. As he heads back out to the living room to rejoin the party, he’s grateful Cas is around to ensure Dean doesn’t devolve into the ultimate cliché bachelor.
They’re just finishing dessert (a summer fruit cobbler with vanilla ice cream), when someone suggests they play a game. Sam groans, sure of what’s coming, but Dean surprises them when he suggests an expanded variation of Clue that allows more people to play. Dean must see his surprise, because he (loudly) announces that Sam won’t play team games with him and Cas anymore, so he had to find something he’d still participate in.
“He’s just jealous you always win,” Eileen butts in, to the amusement of the room. She turns her attention to him then, but she’s clearly still speaking to everyone when she says “It’s not my fault they’re a better couple than us.” Sam rolls his eyes at her joke, remembering how she’d said the same thing the night they first played, and Dean and Cas had crushed them so completely.
“How long have you two been married?” a woman (Sam thinks her name is Sherry) asks. He’s thrown by her question, but before he can explain that he and Eileen are only dating, Dean pipes up from the other side of the room.
“Our six-month anniversary is in a few weeks. Beginning of July, in fact.” Sam’s eyes are wide with surprise at his brother’s comment, and he’s pretty sure his jaw drops as he watches him wrap his arm around Cas and pull him close, before gently kissing his temple.
“Oh, you’re newlyweds!” Maybe Sherry exclaims. “That seems surprising. You two act like you’ve been together forever.”
“Well, being married is new, but we’ve known each other for over a decade,” Dean clarifies.
“Yes,” says Cas, “thirteen years in September, actually.”
What the fuck???
People ooh and ahh over this information, and eventually the conversation moves on. Cas begins setting up the game, and Dean heads to the kitchen to grab refills for a few folks before they get started. Sam follows after him, determined to get some answers.
Dean is shutting the fridge as he walks in, his hands full of beer bottles. “Hey man! You having fun?”
“Oh, yeah,” Sam says, feeling flustered. “The party is great.”
“Good! I was worried people might feel awkward, since not everyone knows each other, but Cas was certain it would go well.” Dean smiles fondly, shaking his head. “Sometimes he really knows what he’s talking about.”
“Uhm, yeah, he does.” Sam isn’t sure what to say now, but he has to ask about what’s going on, so when Dean moves to head back to the living room, his hand shoots out automatically, stopping him in his tracks.
“Everything ok, man?” Dean asks, his eyes flicking from Sam’s hand on his arm up to his face in confusion.
“I—” Sam pauses, unsure how to broach the subject. “Why’d you lie?.”
“What do you mean?” Dean shifts his weight back, resting his hip against the counter as he gives Sam his full attention.
“To Sherry?” Before Dean can make excuses, he forges on. “It’s just, you know, it’s your life, so you can do what you want. But you live here. You know, you’re trying to build a life in this town. It just surprises me you’d lie, since it’s something you have to keep up now.”
Dean huffs out a laugh. “I know, I know. I’ll probably regret it, because Sherry’s clearly one of those people who won’t let it go. But what was I supposed to say? ‘Oh, sorry, your home-brewed beer actually tastes like piss water’?”
“What?!” Sam exclaims, maybe a little too loudly. “No! Dude, I’m talking about you and Cas! Being married!”
Dean’s eyes go wide with surprise, and suddenly he’s doubled over, laughter rolling out of him. Sam leans back in surprise, but when Dean doesn’t stop, he feels his surprise fade to annoyance, and he glares at Dean’s head.
“It’s not funny, Dean!”
Dean straightens up, still chuckling, and rubs his eyes with the back of his hand, still gripping the beer bottles. “Dude, it’s hilarious! You really didn’t know Cas and I were married? What do you think we were doing in Vegas?”
Sam stills, trying to process what Dean is saying. Vegas. The road trip. “But— but— what?!”
“I’m sorry, man, I really thought you knew. It’s not like we were hiding it from you.” Dean smiles. “We didn’t even really plan it, ya know? We were just driving to California and I saw the signs for Vegas, and the next thing I know, we were in some 24 hour chapel getting married by an Elvis impersonator.” He huffs out a laugh at the memory. "It was cheesy as fuck, honestly. I still can’t believe it myself sometimes. Technically it's not even legal since I'm 'dead' and he's 'complicated at best', but they let us do the ceremony even without the license and we got the rings, so I figure it counts."
Sam jerks his gaze down to Dean's hand and sure enough, there it is, a ring on his left hand. He's not even sure how he missed it before.
“But—why?” Sam asks, unable to hold back. Dean looks him in the eye, and his whole face is soft, full of warmth and affection.
“Because I love him, man. I really do. And because I wanted to be able to say ‘til death do us part’ without the threat of a freaking apocalypse hanging over our head, ya know? I wanted him to know I really meant forever, no matter how long that lasts.”
Sam’s reeling. Dean is in love? With Cas?? Before he can say anything else, a voice interrupts their conversation.
“Dean,” Cas questions, “are you coming?”
“Yeah, babe, sorry. Just talking to Sam.” Sam watches Dean’s eyes crinkle as he smiles at his husband , and he can’t help but feel like his whole world has shifted slightly on its axis.
“So, we good?” he hears, and he realizes Dean is directing the question at him.
“Uh, yeah, of course.” He looks at his brother, taking in his smile, and it starts to make sense. Dean’s smiles. Dean’s easy laughter. The way his brother has been more relaxed the past few months than Sam’s ever seen him in his life. He’d assumed it was because Chuck was gone, because he’d retired. Clearly it was something more. “You know I’m happy if you’re happy.”
“Awesome. Ok, well I’ve gotta get out there. I’m about to hand Cas his ass at this game.” With a smirk, Dean’s out the door.
Sam leans heavily on the counter, trying to process what’s just happened.
Dean is married. Dean and Cas are married. Dean and Cas are MARRIED.
He feels like an idiot. How could he have missed it? How could he not have even known Dean was gay? Is he even gay? Or something else? He's seen his brother hit on women for years, that can't all be fake, right? But if he didn't even notice the ring for months, what else has he been missing?
He supposes it doesn’t matter, since they've already tied the knot, and Dean must have assumed he knew, so he can’t exactly ask now without making things more awkward.
Dean and Cas. Dean. And Cas. Married.
Eileen finds him like this, staring mindlessly into space.
“You ok?” she asks gently, signing a bit slower than usual so he has a chance to process her words.
“Did you know Dean and Cas are together?”
“Of course,” she signs. “Wait, didn’t you?”
He shakes his head, unable to say anything else for fear of further embarrassment.
“Oh honey,” Eileen says, chuckling at his shell-shocked look, “you really are oblivious, aren’t you?” Before he can protest, she leans in, kissing him softly. She grabs his hand as she pulls away, tugging him toward the kitchen door. “Come on, let’s go play a game.”