Title: The "It's Not Such a Terrible Life" series (title is still TBD)
Author: Izzychase
Disclaimer: I do not own Dean or Rachel, in any universe. Dean is a creation of Eric Kripke, and Mark Schwann owns Rachel. I don't own anything, so please do not come and file litigations.
Reviews: Are always welcome and make me a happy writer!
Introduction: This "It's not such a terrible life" series explores an AU version of Dean and Rachel, based on SPN ep. 4x17 "It's a Terrible Life" where Dean has an alternate life as a corporate sales and marketing executive. I decide to expand on the adventures of this AU version of Dean, and for good measure, added in an AU version of Rachel as well. This series is not designed with a linear story plot progression in mind, although all the stories relate to one another and take place at different times in Dean and Rachel's life. Each vignette is drawn from inspiration by a city in the United States with its own unique characteristics and flavour, and the possible interactions between the two characters at each place and time.
"It's Not Such a Terrible Life":
Vignette 1: Santa Monica
The first time Dean lets himself into the condo in Santa Monica that he's been looking at for the past few months online and talking to the realtor, a funny feeling that makes him feel like there are butterflies in his stomach lasts for about ten seconds, and Dean's reminded of the time again in Stanford when he was anxiously scanning the lists of posted internships for the summer, hoping that he gets the placement that he's always wanted with Sandover instead of being trapped in some tax firm hovel, and then it's gone, replaced with an excited apprehension about the future, and more importantly, about a future with Rachel.
He walks around the empty condo with a sense of awe; takes in floor to ceiling windows looking out over the ocean, the high ceiling that suddenly appears when he walks from the front entrance hallway to the combined living room and dining area, the door that slides out to a beckoning patio, the spacious kitchen, the den tucked into a separate room where he can set up his home office, and feeling the hardwood floor beneath his feet as gentle and warm before making the climb up the stairs that curve in a half spiral to the upper floor of the loft to the large space that will eventually be their bedroom with its ensuite bathroom off to the side. His breath catches as he sees how the space has a skylight and how the afternoon light dances around the room. This condo has everything that they could both want and they've been talking about Santa Monica or Bel Air as possible places to start looking for a place to move in together.
He's kept this loft as a surprise from Rachel, even though he normally tells her everything. He wants this to be a surprise. They've gone to see crowded shoeboxes of condos in L.A. together, single floor condos in Bel Air that are probably overpriced, and even townhouses in the Pacific Palisades, but Dean's saved this one for last.
"What do you think?" The voice of the realtor, an expensively dressed woman in her early fifties who only goes by Chase gently breaks into his train of thought. She's standing at the doorway, subtle and experienced, letting him take the lead in looking at the condo instead of aggressively trying to market it to him.
"You think you can arrange a viewing where my girlfriend and I can come together tomorrow morning?" He asks in return. He knows that condos like this in Santa Monica won't be on the market for that long, but he's savvy enough and he's worked in sales and marketing long enough to know that if Rachel loves it, he's ready to put in an offer.
Chase studies him for a moment, and nods. "Of course- is 10am all right?"
"It's great- thank you."
*
"Dean, where are we going?" Rachel asks him the next morning as they're driving in his Lexus. He knows that he appears to fit the stereotype of a yuppie, but it hasn't always been this way. As hard as it was to believe, he did once play football growing up in Sherman Oaks and had wanted to study as a physiotherapist before he discovered that marketing was his passion, and Rachel knows that he isn't a stereotypical corporate douchebag. Her ability to see past his corporate persona is one of the reasons that he loves her so much.
"It's a surprise, babe," is the only answer he gives in return. Rachel squeezes his hand and in between the traffic lights on the way to Santa Monica, he admires how beautiful she is with her long, red hair, sparkling brown eyes, and delicate curves and shapely long legs in her sundress. They can drive in silence and thank goodness Rachel isn't one of those women who need to be constantly talking or chattering; she's composed and mature, subtle and classy just like the way she dresses.
They walk up to the new condo building together, hand-in-hand with fingers intertwined, once he's parked, and Rachel's eyes light up when she sees the view of the gently sloping hill and the ocean in the background.
"Wait until you see the inside," Dean promises as he gently leads her up to the front steps of the condo building. They shake hands with Chase, take the elevator up to the flat, and Chase patiently waits outside the door while Dean asks Rachel to close her eyes. He sees Chase's slightly amused look behind her well-bred demeanour, but Rachel closes her eyes, and lets Dean take her hand while his other one gently opens the door and leads them both in. As soon as Dean closes the door behind them, he wraps his arms around Rachel's waist and nuzzles her neck.
"You can open your eyes now." He whispers gently.
"Oh my god," are the first words that come out of Rachel's mouth as she looks around the condo in awe, staying ensconced in his arms as she takes in the view of the entire condo. He takes her hand and they walk through the condo, as they mix and jumble up their sentences in hushed excitement.
"We can have a guest room downstairs in here,"
"Look at this view, Dean! You can see the ocean and the city from these windows,"
"Babe, we can set up an office in this den,"
"Dean, I love the floors and I love the dark wood cabinets of the kitchen..."
"There's a full bath on the first floor,"
"We can put our deck chaises and chairs and table on the patio,"
"Wait until you see the second floor," Dean promises and they walk up the stairs together, and Rachel's breath catches as she walks into the large space and looks around. Dean thinks she can't look any more beautiful than she does in that moment, standing underneath the skylight as the morning light illuminates her pretty face and features, looking in wonder at that space around them. And then it hits him; this space is going to be theirs, it's going to mean that they'll be sharing their entire day together every day instead of just seeing each other on dates and sleeping together on the weekends.
"I love you," The words come rushing out of Rachel's mouth and a split second later she's in his arms and they're sharing a soft and gentle kiss that she initiates.
"I love you too," He replies before asking her, "So do you like the place?"
"Yes," Rachel says with certainty.
"Good," Dean replies, putting his hands back on her waist again, "Because this is going to mean that this place will be half yours, and half mine. I was thinking of making an offer today..."
"Yes, I want to do this," Rachel agrees, her breath slightly hitched from the excitement. "I want this; I want us."
"I want us too." He nods, kissing the fingers on her hand gently. "I'm sick of not being able to wake up with you on weekdays. You've practically moved half of your clothes and shoes into my closet. We spend all of our weekends together,"
"I love being with you. I like the way we go jogging together, the drives along the coast, the shopping and cooking and long lunches and cuddling up on my patio afterwards."
"I've enough money saved for a down payment but also wanted to know if you wanted to contribute half so that it's ours. I've been thinking about this since we visited your folks last Christmas."
"Really?"
"Yes." Dean was completely serious. "This is the first time I've ever wanted to move in with a girlfriend. We can rent out our old apartments for money, each pay half of the down payment, and this is us moving in together and taking the next step."
"Even buying a love nest in Santa Monica?" Rachel's brown eyes twinkle at him even as she wraps her arms around his neck.
"Even buying a love nest in Santa Monica," Dean's completely serious, and then he decides to lighten the mood up with some humour, "But you've got to promise me that you won't tell anyone at Sandover. I've got my reputation to maintain."
Rachel chuckles and leans in to give him a kiss. "Well, Dean Smith, you're lucky that I've always wanted to live in Santa Monica ever since I moved to California."
"So, it's all about the condo and Santa Monica, and not me," Dean jokes.
"You're a pretty great bonus, though." Rachel teases.
Dean laughs at that, and he wraps his arms tighter around Rachel's waist before initiating a passionate kiss that she reciprocates. Chase can wait for a few more minutes downstairs. Right now he's got Rachel in his arms and she's everything he's ever wanted in a woman and in a mate. The butterflies that were in his stomach yesterday are replaced just by the quiet excitement that Santa Monica is just the beginning of the next stage of their life.
End
Author's Notes: Please do let me know what you think :-)