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phantismaFandom: Supernatural, Keeper!Verse
Title: Finally Home, Part 3 (All Keeper Verse Here)
Rating: NC-17 (for this partl)
Word Count: 12,444 (total)
Pairings/Characters: Sam/Dean (long term established wincest), John, Dana (Dean's daughter) Scott
Summary: Sam and Dean bring Scott home to Lawrence and he sets about reclaiming his life, if not his girl. Meanwhile, Sam askds Dean for something he really wants.
A/Ns & Warnings: This story pics up shortly after Losing Sam, Arc 3. There are four parts, all complete. I will be posting them over the next few days. There is some angst and some funny and Dana acting decidedly like an 18 year old with her first taste of freedom, and a little bit of sex and a whole lot of schloomp at the end. As ever in Keeper!verse, thanks go to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
shotofjack for the beta of awesome and for keeping me sane. *loves*
Dean didn’t actually sleep anymore that night. He showered and sat up watching Sam sleep. It was strange to see him so peaceful at night, especially a night after the things he’d had to do. Nightmares had always been a way of life in their bedroom. Dean had gotten good at soothing Sam past them. He’d even learned the stuff that would trigger them, and would be prepared when they came.
A year ago, hell, six months ago, just the thought of coming here would have brought them on. Instead, it was Dean who couldn’t bear the thought of going to sleep because of the nightmares.
By daybreak, Dean had loaded their stuff into the rented car and was impatiently waiting for Scott and Sam to wake up and get ready to go clean out Scott’s dorm room. He was restless, always was after the nightmare. It always started the same.
Always. With Sam. With Sam dying. With Sam’s body decaying in his arms.
Dean rubbed a hand over his face and resisted the urge to shake Sam awake, to drag him into the bathroom to prove to himself Sam was there and real and alive.
He’d been ready to say goodbye. He’d given up. Consigned Sam to the ground. He’d let go.
And he couldn’t forgive himself.
He knew that was the cause of the nightmares, even if he would never admit it out loud. Especially not to Sam.
They hadn’t talked about it.
And Dean wasn’t about to initiate the conversation.
So instead, he went and got coffee. He didn’t know how Scott drank his, so he got it strong and black and grabbed a handful of creamers and sugars and figured the kid should be grateful they came and saved his ass, and drink his goddamn coffee.
By the time he got back, Sam was in the shower and Scott was sitting on the bed, looking a little dazed still, though it was obvious he’d been up and showered. His hair was still wet.
“You okay?” Dean asked as he put the coffee on the table.
Scott nodded, then inhaled and stood, crossing the room for the coffee. “Yeah, I had…weird dreams, and a lot of yesterday is kind of blurry, but I’m good.”
“Good. Didn’t know how you liked it.”
Scott opened the coffee and sniffed it. “No, this is good.” He left the creamers and the sugars and took the coffee back to the bed. “So…I guess I should be thanking you. Neither one of you had to come here.”
“You were in trouble, Scott. Sam could sense it.”
“Yeah, about that…” Scott sipped at his coffee, then looked up. “He’s different.”
“How so?” Dean sat back against the head board and cradled his coffee in his hands.
“I never realized he was…like Dana. I mean, I knew he had some gifts and some stuff going on with him, but not…he’s really powerful.” He looked up and held up a hand. “Not that I’m prying. I know not to. I promised Dana I’d never ask.”
Dean nodded. “He doesn’t flaunt it. Keeps it under wraps.”
“But I’m not wrong. He’s different. From…before.”
Dean squinted in his direction.
“I mean…I don’t know what I mean.” Scott shook his head and went back to sucking down his coffee. “I should probably get to the school, I’m going to have to do withdrawal paperwork and stuff.”
“Sam and I can start packing you up while you do that. I want to be on the road by noon. It’s a long drive.”
The bathroom door opened and Sam emerged, his skin pink from the hot water, all the way down to where it disappeared into his jeans. “There you are.”
“Coffee.” Dean pointed with his coffee cup and Sam grinned appreciatively.
“See…now I know that you love me.”
Scott groaned and Sam chuckled. “I saw that you got us loaded up already.”
“He wants to be on the road by noon.” Scott said.
“Well then, we should get moving.”
It was closer to one before they were leaving Palo Alto, but it had all gone smoothly. Scott was packed up and sitting in the back seat. Sam was quiet in the passenger seat, pulled back into his private place, thinking. Dean figured that was just as well. It kept Sam from trying to get him to talk about his dreams.
That left Dean to drive. And remember their last road trip. Just him and Sam, on the road back from the retreat where they’d dropped off Bellius. Sex every couple of hours until neither one of them could get it up again. That wasn’t happening with Scott in tow.
They stopped for dinner in Reno and pulled into Salt Lake City around midnight. Sam offered to take over driving. By two a.m., after long walks and bathroom breaks and a load up of road food at an all night truck stop, Dean let him, settling into the passenger’s seat to pretend to sleep.
They had breakfast in Denver and Dean took over driving again. They made Lawrence before dinner, and Dean helped haul Scott’s stuff into the spare bedroom.
“We should call Dana and tell her we’re home.” Dean said around a yawn, once he’d settled Remmy down, and cleaned up his little accident caused by the overwhelming joy of seeing Dean.
“You should get some sleep.” Sam countered, kissing his forehead. “I know you haven’t slept since the nightmare.”
“I’m fine.” Dean rolled his eyes, but headed for the stairs. Sam’s disapproval was too much though and he sighed. “Fine, you call her, I’ll go to bed.” He didn’t wait to see how Scott would react or if Sam would tell her not to come over. He just headed up the stairs with Remmy tucked under his arm and let himself into the bedroom.
Dean dropped Remmy on the bed, stripped out of his clothes and headed for the bathroom. He was tired, but he knew as soon as he slept, he’d dream. Unless…he pulled the bottle of pills down. At least with a sleeping pill in him, he’d be pulled deep enough he wouldn’t dream. Then he wouldn’t bother Sam, and Sam wouldn’t wake up concerned.
He didn’t look at himself as he swallowed two of them dry and headed for bed. He was a little surprised to find Sam there waiting for him.
“Is that going to help?”
Dean shrugged. “It can’t hurt. I’ll sleep.”
Sam nodded, but stayed a little closed off. “Okay. For now.”
Dean sighed and crawled into bed. “I just want to sleep. Without dreams. Okay?”
Sam smiled. “Yeah, I know the feeling. Dana’s not coming over. She’s got some…party or something. It was hard to tell with all the noise.”
“Party?” Dean yawned, pushing himself up to look at Sam. “Doesn’t she have classes in the morning?”
Sam chuckled. “She’s in college. Parties are part of college. Trust me on this.”
Dean yawned again, not completely convinced, but he nodded. “Lay with me?”
Sam slid down next to him, fingers feeling down Dean’s ribs to his hip. “I’ve been thinking.”
“Oh?”
“Well, I figured out why Scott didn’t react to Ambrose calling me a Winchester.”
Dean stifled the next yawn, but he could feel the pills spreading their fingers into him. “Why?”
“He thinks we got married. Remember, when the law was passed and every gay couple in Kansas was running out to get married?”
Dean frowned at Sam. Of course, Scott didn’t know that they couldn’t get married. That they were brothers. They’d never get past the blood test. “Married?”
Sam sighed. “I liked being a Winchester again.”
There was something in Sam’s tone, but Dean couldn’t keep his eyes open. He reached for Sam’s hand, pulling it close. As much as he wanted to stay awake, Dean couldn’t fight the combination of pills and exhaustion.
Dana grinned up at her date. “Good news, I don’t have to go running off after all.”
“Does that mean we’re on for the party?”
She nodded. “It does. I just have to go by my dorm room first. I want to change my shoes and grab a jacket.” She finished off her cappuccino and took his hand.
Riley Grant. Pre-Law. Excellent kisser. Not bad with his hands. A little conservative for her taste, but definitely worth further exploration. With any luck, her roommate was spending the evening fucking in whatever guy’s room she managed to land for the night.
And, okay, so that was a little judgmental, considering that Riley was the third guy Dana had made out with that week alone…but it wasn’t like she was bringing them home to the dorm room at all hours of the day and night.
Taylor had been wild, and they’d ended up in some frat guy’s bedroom at the Delta house party, finishing what they’d started on the couch. Charles, well…let’s just say she’d never be able to go into the stacks in the library and not remember…not that his performance was all that memorable, but it was something of a first for her.
She kicked off her shoes as she opened the door. “I’ll just be a minute.” She fished in the closet for a shoe with less heel, especially if there’d be dancing. Riley wasn’t really her type. But he looked mighty good in his suit and tie, and she liked the way he treated her like a lady. She wasn’t used to that.
Dana found the shoes she was looking for and turned around, to find Riley standing by her bed, staring at the picture on her night stand. “Who’s this?”
“That’s my dad.” Dana said plopping down on the bed to pull on the flats. “The reason I was going to have to run off. He’s been out of town. I was watching the dogs.”
Riley’s face was strained, unreadable. The air in the room had gotten noticeably colder. “And the guy next to him?”
“That’s Sam. His partner.”
There was a twitch in Riley’s cheek and he brushed his hands down his pants like there was something disgusting on them. “You never said your dad was gay.”
“Didn’t realize it was a big deal.” Dana said. She stood and looked at him, felt him out. He was disgusted. It oozed out of his pores. “Wait, you…it’s okay for you to make out with a girl ten minutes after meeting her, but you’re grossed out by two guys who love each other and have been together for eighteen years?”
“It’s…wrong.”
“Wrong?” She tried to evade the anger climbing into her stomach, but she couldn’t. “That’s a pretty archaic attitude.”
“Maybe I’m an old fashioned guy.” Riley countered.
“Yeah, so old fashioned you couldn’t wait to get in my pants.”
“Well I certainly don’t want in them now. For God’s sake, you probably have some disease.”
She snorted and went to the door. “Right, I might give you the gay cooties. I think maybe you better just go.”
“Yeah, maybe I should.”
She held the door and watched him stalk down the hall, half tempted to beam gay porn into his brain in retribution. “Damn bigots.”
Dana slammed her door and threw her shoes across the room. So much for the party. She just wasn’t in the mood. She could go see Sam and her Dad, but from Sam she got that they were both tired and probably just going to bed.
She threw herself down on her bed and pulled out her cell phone. It was almost eleven in California. Scott was probably asleep. She sighed and put the phone on her night stand, then rolled over and grabbed her science book off the floor.
It wasn’t like she needed to study. She got pretty much everything she needed from the teacher in class. Okay, so that wasn’t the most kosher use of her gifts…but she got straight A’s and she learned the stuff.
She shut the book seconds after opening it, then set it aside and got up looking for her shoes. Riley or no Riley, the night was young. She could find someone else to entertain her.
It wasn’t that he was actively avoiding her. Not exactly. He just wasn’t really looking for her either. Scott was having to jump through hoops to get in so late in the semester, and while KU was no Stanford, they weren’t making it easy on him either.
Most of the classes he wanted or needed were booked. And the ones he did get into required the professor’s permission in writing. The dorms were booked solid too, but Sam and Dean had generously said he could stay with them, if he didn’t want to go home to an empty house. His parents weren’t due back in the States until after Thanksgiving.
It took almost three days to get all the signatures, and it was just as he was leaving the English lit professor’s office that he ran into her. Literally.
Dana was giggling, her back to Scott. Scott had his nose in his agenda double checking that he had everything. He only had to see the track coach. He had an appointment in a half hour. Scott bumped her elbow and looked up.
Her eyes widened, then shot to her companion, a tallish guy who seemed a bit older, before coming back to Scott.
“Scott? Oh my god. What are you doing here?” She hugged him tight, but quickly released him and cleared her throat. “Um, Scott, this is Anthony Bodeck. He’s the TA in my English Lit class. Anthony, my…boyfriend, Scott Wu.”
Scott was taken back by the way she said it. Like she wasn’t sure what to call him. “Hi.” Scott said to Anthony before looking back at Dana. “I’m…transferring.”
She frowned at him. “What? Why? Is something wrong?”
He shrugged, looking at Anthony again and wishing she’d just read it in his face like she normally did. “Stanford was…everything Sam said it would be.”
Her eyes narrowed and he imagined he could feel her poking at his brain. It was probably just his imagination, but he was starting to be paranoid about it.
“Anthony…I need to talk to Scott.” She grabbed his arm and dragged him away. “What?” She asked when they were out of earshot.
His eyes were still on Anthony. “Were you flirting with him?”
“What? Scott. Focus. What happened?”
He shook his head and dragged his eyes back to her. “You were. A TA?”
She snapped her fingers in his face. “Are you okay?”
He nodded. “I can’t really talk right now. I have a meeting with the track coach. Then I have to get back to admissions before five so I can start classes on Monday.”
“Okay. Want me to give coach a good word?”
Somehow that annoyed him. “I am capable of making a good impression without the help of a Winchester, you know.”
She stepped back, clearly startled. “I was just trying to help.”
“Maybe I’ve had enough help from your family for one week.”
“Can we talk later?”
He took a deep breath. “I guess. I’m staying with your dads for a while.” He looked back at Anthony who was clearly still waiting for Dana. “I gotta go.”
“Dana’s here.” Sam said, looking up from the book in his lap.
Dean and Scott both looked at him, then the door. It opened a second later. Scott scooped up his books and headed for his room.
“Hey honey.” Dean kissed her forehead, but her eyes were on Scott’s retreating back. “How’s school?”
She was frowning, but Sam could tell it had nothing to do with school. “Fine.” She scowled as the bedroom door closed. “What the hell happened?” She focused the question on Sam.
“That’s his business. If he wants to tell you, he will.”
“It had to be bad. He said it was everything you said it was.”
Sam nodded. “Probably more. But seriously, talk to him.”
She gestured at the bedroom door wildly. “He won’t talk to me.”
Dean hugged her. “He’s had a rough couple of weeks, Dana. Give him some space.”
“Like I have a choice. We even have a class together and he won’t even acknowledge I’m there.”
Sam put his book aside and stood. “Maybe it should be private anyway. Why don’t you go knock on the door, see if maybe he’ll talk.”
She pouted, but nodded. “Yeah, okay.”
Sam watched her go, then turned to Dean. “And that gives us a little alone time. I want to talk too.”
“Sam.” Dean made a face and turned away. He didn’t want to talk about the goddamn dreams again.
“No, Dean. Not that. I figure you’ll talk about it when you’re ready.”
“Okay, what then?”
Sam grabbed his hips, pulled him in close to kiss. “I want to talk to you about something I want.”
That perked Dean up. He was always willing to give Sam anything he wanted. “Okay, tell me.”
Sam took a deep breath. He’d been thinking about it since Palo Alto. Since he’d seen the way Scott looked at him and Dean. “I want us to be married.”
Dean looked at him for a moment like he was crazy. “Sam…I mean…you know I love you, but married?” He pulled away, scratching at his head. “There’s legal stuff, and the blood test. I mean…that’s the whole point of the blood test, right?” He shook his head. “I don’t need the government to tell me it’s okay to love you, Sam.”
“I know. I know. But Dean….” He bit his lip, reached out mentally, trying to find the right way to convey what he was feeling. “It doesn’t have to be a real wedding or anything…I don’t need symbols. I want….”
His eyes met Dean’s. I want to be a Winchester again. For real. Forever.
For a heartbeat nothing in the room moved. Then Dean was in his arms, pulling until their mouths were crushed together and they were vibrating. Sam tried to tamp down his emotional response, but he was overwhelmed by Dean’s. All around them furniture levitated.
Does that mean yes?
Dean pulled back. His eyes sparkled with tears he was blinking back. He nodded. “Yes.” It wasn’t really spoken, though his mouth moved. The bedroom door opened and Sam concentrated on lowering the furniture without breaking anything.
“Everything okay?” Dana’s voice asked.
Dean had his face buried in Sam’s shirt, so Sam answered. “Fine honey. Want pizza?”
“With hot sauce?”
Sam smiled. “Of course.”
Title: Finally Home, Part 3 (All Keeper Verse Here)
Rating: NC-17 (for this partl)
Word Count: 12,444 (total)
Pairings/Characters: Sam/Dean (long term established wincest), John, Dana (Dean's daughter) Scott
Summary: Sam and Dean bring Scott home to Lawrence and he sets about reclaiming his life, if not his girl. Meanwhile, Sam askds Dean for something he really wants.
A/Ns & Warnings: This story pics up shortly after Losing Sam, Arc 3. There are four parts, all complete. I will be posting them over the next few days. There is some angst and some funny and Dana acting decidedly like an 18 year old with her first taste of freedom, and a little bit of sex and a whole lot of schloomp at the end. As ever in Keeper!verse, thanks go to
shotofjack for the beta of awesome and for keeping me sane. *loves*Dean didn’t actually sleep anymore that night. He showered and sat up watching Sam sleep. It was strange to see him so peaceful at night, especially a night after the things he’d had to do. Nightmares had always been a way of life in their bedroom. Dean had gotten good at soothing Sam past them. He’d even learned the stuff that would trigger them, and would be prepared when they came.
A year ago, hell, six months ago, just the thought of coming here would have brought them on. Instead, it was Dean who couldn’t bear the thought of going to sleep because of the nightmares.
By daybreak, Dean had loaded their stuff into the rented car and was impatiently waiting for Scott and Sam to wake up and get ready to go clean out Scott’s dorm room. He was restless, always was after the nightmare. It always started the same.
Always. With Sam. With Sam dying. With Sam’s body decaying in his arms.
Dean rubbed a hand over his face and resisted the urge to shake Sam awake, to drag him into the bathroom to prove to himself Sam was there and real and alive.
He’d been ready to say goodbye. He’d given up. Consigned Sam to the ground. He’d let go.
And he couldn’t forgive himself.
He knew that was the cause of the nightmares, even if he would never admit it out loud. Especially not to Sam.
They hadn’t talked about it.
And Dean wasn’t about to initiate the conversation.
So instead, he went and got coffee. He didn’t know how Scott drank his, so he got it strong and black and grabbed a handful of creamers and sugars and figured the kid should be grateful they came and saved his ass, and drink his goddamn coffee.
By the time he got back, Sam was in the shower and Scott was sitting on the bed, looking a little dazed still, though it was obvious he’d been up and showered. His hair was still wet.
“You okay?” Dean asked as he put the coffee on the table.
Scott nodded, then inhaled and stood, crossing the room for the coffee. “Yeah, I had…weird dreams, and a lot of yesterday is kind of blurry, but I’m good.”
“Good. Didn’t know how you liked it.”
Scott opened the coffee and sniffed it. “No, this is good.” He left the creamers and the sugars and took the coffee back to the bed. “So…I guess I should be thanking you. Neither one of you had to come here.”
“You were in trouble, Scott. Sam could sense it.”
“Yeah, about that…” Scott sipped at his coffee, then looked up. “He’s different.”
“How so?” Dean sat back against the head board and cradled his coffee in his hands.
“I never realized he was…like Dana. I mean, I knew he had some gifts and some stuff going on with him, but not…he’s really powerful.” He looked up and held up a hand. “Not that I’m prying. I know not to. I promised Dana I’d never ask.”
Dean nodded. “He doesn’t flaunt it. Keeps it under wraps.”
“But I’m not wrong. He’s different. From…before.”
Dean squinted in his direction.
“I mean…I don’t know what I mean.” Scott shook his head and went back to sucking down his coffee. “I should probably get to the school, I’m going to have to do withdrawal paperwork and stuff.”
“Sam and I can start packing you up while you do that. I want to be on the road by noon. It’s a long drive.”
The bathroom door opened and Sam emerged, his skin pink from the hot water, all the way down to where it disappeared into his jeans. “There you are.”
“Coffee.” Dean pointed with his coffee cup and Sam grinned appreciatively.
“See…now I know that you love me.”
Scott groaned and Sam chuckled. “I saw that you got us loaded up already.”
“He wants to be on the road by noon.” Scott said.
“Well then, we should get moving.”
It was closer to one before they were leaving Palo Alto, but it had all gone smoothly. Scott was packed up and sitting in the back seat. Sam was quiet in the passenger seat, pulled back into his private place, thinking. Dean figured that was just as well. It kept Sam from trying to get him to talk about his dreams.
That left Dean to drive. And remember their last road trip. Just him and Sam, on the road back from the retreat where they’d dropped off Bellius. Sex every couple of hours until neither one of them could get it up again. That wasn’t happening with Scott in tow.
They stopped for dinner in Reno and pulled into Salt Lake City around midnight. Sam offered to take over driving. By two a.m., after long walks and bathroom breaks and a load up of road food at an all night truck stop, Dean let him, settling into the passenger’s seat to pretend to sleep.
They had breakfast in Denver and Dean took over driving again. They made Lawrence before dinner, and Dean helped haul Scott’s stuff into the spare bedroom.
“We should call Dana and tell her we’re home.” Dean said around a yawn, once he’d settled Remmy down, and cleaned up his little accident caused by the overwhelming joy of seeing Dean.
“You should get some sleep.” Sam countered, kissing his forehead. “I know you haven’t slept since the nightmare.”
“I’m fine.” Dean rolled his eyes, but headed for the stairs. Sam’s disapproval was too much though and he sighed. “Fine, you call her, I’ll go to bed.” He didn’t wait to see how Scott would react or if Sam would tell her not to come over. He just headed up the stairs with Remmy tucked under his arm and let himself into the bedroom.
Dean dropped Remmy on the bed, stripped out of his clothes and headed for the bathroom. He was tired, but he knew as soon as he slept, he’d dream. Unless…he pulled the bottle of pills down. At least with a sleeping pill in him, he’d be pulled deep enough he wouldn’t dream. Then he wouldn’t bother Sam, and Sam wouldn’t wake up concerned.
He didn’t look at himself as he swallowed two of them dry and headed for bed. He was a little surprised to find Sam there waiting for him.
“Is that going to help?”
Dean shrugged. “It can’t hurt. I’ll sleep.”
Sam nodded, but stayed a little closed off. “Okay. For now.”
Dean sighed and crawled into bed. “I just want to sleep. Without dreams. Okay?”
Sam smiled. “Yeah, I know the feeling. Dana’s not coming over. She’s got some…party or something. It was hard to tell with all the noise.”
“Party?” Dean yawned, pushing himself up to look at Sam. “Doesn’t she have classes in the morning?”
Sam chuckled. “She’s in college. Parties are part of college. Trust me on this.”
Dean yawned again, not completely convinced, but he nodded. “Lay with me?”
Sam slid down next to him, fingers feeling down Dean’s ribs to his hip. “I’ve been thinking.”
“Oh?”
“Well, I figured out why Scott didn’t react to Ambrose calling me a Winchester.”
Dean stifled the next yawn, but he could feel the pills spreading their fingers into him. “Why?”
“He thinks we got married. Remember, when the law was passed and every gay couple in Kansas was running out to get married?”
Dean frowned at Sam. Of course, Scott didn’t know that they couldn’t get married. That they were brothers. They’d never get past the blood test. “Married?”
Sam sighed. “I liked being a Winchester again.”
There was something in Sam’s tone, but Dean couldn’t keep his eyes open. He reached for Sam’s hand, pulling it close. As much as he wanted to stay awake, Dean couldn’t fight the combination of pills and exhaustion.
Dana grinned up at her date. “Good news, I don’t have to go running off after all.”
“Does that mean we’re on for the party?”
She nodded. “It does. I just have to go by my dorm room first. I want to change my shoes and grab a jacket.” She finished off her cappuccino and took his hand.
Riley Grant. Pre-Law. Excellent kisser. Not bad with his hands. A little conservative for her taste, but definitely worth further exploration. With any luck, her roommate was spending the evening fucking in whatever guy’s room she managed to land for the night.
And, okay, so that was a little judgmental, considering that Riley was the third guy Dana had made out with that week alone…but it wasn’t like she was bringing them home to the dorm room at all hours of the day and night.
Taylor had been wild, and they’d ended up in some frat guy’s bedroom at the Delta house party, finishing what they’d started on the couch. Charles, well…let’s just say she’d never be able to go into the stacks in the library and not remember…not that his performance was all that memorable, but it was something of a first for her.
She kicked off her shoes as she opened the door. “I’ll just be a minute.” She fished in the closet for a shoe with less heel, especially if there’d be dancing. Riley wasn’t really her type. But he looked mighty good in his suit and tie, and she liked the way he treated her like a lady. She wasn’t used to that.
Dana found the shoes she was looking for and turned around, to find Riley standing by her bed, staring at the picture on her night stand. “Who’s this?”
“That’s my dad.” Dana said plopping down on the bed to pull on the flats. “The reason I was going to have to run off. He’s been out of town. I was watching the dogs.”
Riley’s face was strained, unreadable. The air in the room had gotten noticeably colder. “And the guy next to him?”
“That’s Sam. His partner.”
There was a twitch in Riley’s cheek and he brushed his hands down his pants like there was something disgusting on them. “You never said your dad was gay.”
“Didn’t realize it was a big deal.” Dana said. She stood and looked at him, felt him out. He was disgusted. It oozed out of his pores. “Wait, you…it’s okay for you to make out with a girl ten minutes after meeting her, but you’re grossed out by two guys who love each other and have been together for eighteen years?”
“It’s…wrong.”
“Wrong?” She tried to evade the anger climbing into her stomach, but she couldn’t. “That’s a pretty archaic attitude.”
“Maybe I’m an old fashioned guy.” Riley countered.
“Yeah, so old fashioned you couldn’t wait to get in my pants.”
“Well I certainly don’t want in them now. For God’s sake, you probably have some disease.”
She snorted and went to the door. “Right, I might give you the gay cooties. I think maybe you better just go.”
“Yeah, maybe I should.”
She held the door and watched him stalk down the hall, half tempted to beam gay porn into his brain in retribution. “Damn bigots.”
Dana slammed her door and threw her shoes across the room. So much for the party. She just wasn’t in the mood. She could go see Sam and her Dad, but from Sam she got that they were both tired and probably just going to bed.
She threw herself down on her bed and pulled out her cell phone. It was almost eleven in California. Scott was probably asleep. She sighed and put the phone on her night stand, then rolled over and grabbed her science book off the floor.
It wasn’t like she needed to study. She got pretty much everything she needed from the teacher in class. Okay, so that wasn’t the most kosher use of her gifts…but she got straight A’s and she learned the stuff.
She shut the book seconds after opening it, then set it aside and got up looking for her shoes. Riley or no Riley, the night was young. She could find someone else to entertain her.
It wasn’t that he was actively avoiding her. Not exactly. He just wasn’t really looking for her either. Scott was having to jump through hoops to get in so late in the semester, and while KU was no Stanford, they weren’t making it easy on him either.
Most of the classes he wanted or needed were booked. And the ones he did get into required the professor’s permission in writing. The dorms were booked solid too, but Sam and Dean had generously said he could stay with them, if he didn’t want to go home to an empty house. His parents weren’t due back in the States until after Thanksgiving.
It took almost three days to get all the signatures, and it was just as he was leaving the English lit professor’s office that he ran into her. Literally.
Dana was giggling, her back to Scott. Scott had his nose in his agenda double checking that he had everything. He only had to see the track coach. He had an appointment in a half hour. Scott bumped her elbow and looked up.
Her eyes widened, then shot to her companion, a tallish guy who seemed a bit older, before coming back to Scott.
“Scott? Oh my god. What are you doing here?” She hugged him tight, but quickly released him and cleared her throat. “Um, Scott, this is Anthony Bodeck. He’s the TA in my English Lit class. Anthony, my…boyfriend, Scott Wu.”
Scott was taken back by the way she said it. Like she wasn’t sure what to call him. “Hi.” Scott said to Anthony before looking back at Dana. “I’m…transferring.”
She frowned at him. “What? Why? Is something wrong?”
He shrugged, looking at Anthony again and wishing she’d just read it in his face like she normally did. “Stanford was…everything Sam said it would be.”
Her eyes narrowed and he imagined he could feel her poking at his brain. It was probably just his imagination, but he was starting to be paranoid about it.
“Anthony…I need to talk to Scott.” She grabbed his arm and dragged him away. “What?” She asked when they were out of earshot.
His eyes were still on Anthony. “Were you flirting with him?”
“What? Scott. Focus. What happened?”
He shook his head and dragged his eyes back to her. “You were. A TA?”
She snapped her fingers in his face. “Are you okay?”
He nodded. “I can’t really talk right now. I have a meeting with the track coach. Then I have to get back to admissions before five so I can start classes on Monday.”
“Okay. Want me to give coach a good word?”
Somehow that annoyed him. “I am capable of making a good impression without the help of a Winchester, you know.”
She stepped back, clearly startled. “I was just trying to help.”
“Maybe I’ve had enough help from your family for one week.”
“Can we talk later?”
He took a deep breath. “I guess. I’m staying with your dads for a while.” He looked back at Anthony who was clearly still waiting for Dana. “I gotta go.”
“Dana’s here.” Sam said, looking up from the book in his lap.
Dean and Scott both looked at him, then the door. It opened a second later. Scott scooped up his books and headed for his room.
“Hey honey.” Dean kissed her forehead, but her eyes were on Scott’s retreating back. “How’s school?”
She was frowning, but Sam could tell it had nothing to do with school. “Fine.” She scowled as the bedroom door closed. “What the hell happened?” She focused the question on Sam.
“That’s his business. If he wants to tell you, he will.”
“It had to be bad. He said it was everything you said it was.”
Sam nodded. “Probably more. But seriously, talk to him.”
She gestured at the bedroom door wildly. “He won’t talk to me.”
Dean hugged her. “He’s had a rough couple of weeks, Dana. Give him some space.”
“Like I have a choice. We even have a class together and he won’t even acknowledge I’m there.”
Sam put his book aside and stood. “Maybe it should be private anyway. Why don’t you go knock on the door, see if maybe he’ll talk.”
She pouted, but nodded. “Yeah, okay.”
Sam watched her go, then turned to Dean. “And that gives us a little alone time. I want to talk too.”
“Sam.” Dean made a face and turned away. He didn’t want to talk about the goddamn dreams again.
“No, Dean. Not that. I figure you’ll talk about it when you’re ready.”
“Okay, what then?”
Sam grabbed his hips, pulled him in close to kiss. “I want to talk to you about something I want.”
That perked Dean up. He was always willing to give Sam anything he wanted. “Okay, tell me.”
Sam took a deep breath. He’d been thinking about it since Palo Alto. Since he’d seen the way Scott looked at him and Dean. “I want us to be married.”
Dean looked at him for a moment like he was crazy. “Sam…I mean…you know I love you, but married?” He pulled away, scratching at his head. “There’s legal stuff, and the blood test. I mean…that’s the whole point of the blood test, right?” He shook his head. “I don’t need the government to tell me it’s okay to love you, Sam.”
“I know. I know. But Dean….” He bit his lip, reached out mentally, trying to find the right way to convey what he was feeling. “It doesn’t have to be a real wedding or anything…I don’t need symbols. I want….”
His eyes met Dean’s. I want to be a Winchester again. For real. Forever.
For a heartbeat nothing in the room moved. Then Dean was in his arms, pulling until their mouths were crushed together and they were vibrating. Sam tried to tamp down his emotional response, but he was overwhelmed by Dean’s. All around them furniture levitated.
Does that mean yes?
Dean pulled back. His eyes sparkled with tears he was blinking back. He nodded. “Yes.” It wasn’t really spoken, though his mouth moved. The bedroom door opened and Sam concentrated on lowering the furniture without breaking anything.
“Everything okay?” Dana’s voice asked.
Dean had his face buried in Sam’s shirt, so Sam answered. “Fine honey. Want pizza?”
“With hot sauce?”
Sam smiled. “Of course.”
