Vacation had never been Dean's strong suit, probably because he'd never really had one. But with everything going on, he felt he deserved a little time off. It had been a long day (week, year, decade) and he was going to relax, dammit. If the world was going to try to end again, it was going to have to wait at least a day before he made any attempt to fix it.
Luckily, the world didn't seem to be in any hurry to end. For once. Which was why Dean decided it was time to cash in his good karma and go hang out somewhere relaxing. Not that he didn't love the bunker and consider it to be his home, but there was too much around that reminded him of work and made him want to go looking for a case. If he stayed holed up there, he knew he'd end up looking for monsters to hunt.
He left early one morning, leaving a note for Sam to let him know he'd be back the next day.
Unfortunately there weren't many places nearby that would really constitute a 'vacation.' Deciding to settle for just a change of scenery and a lot of luxury, Dean pulled into the nicest hotel he could find and demanded the nicest room they had.
Most of the day Dean spent watching pay-per-view while relaxing in what was very likely the most comfortable bed he'd ever been in in his entire life. When he discovered the room-service menu, he had several slices of pie sent up.
The best part of the day came later, after he'd had a few drinks and happened to notice the pool behind the hotel. He wasn't really one for swimming, but his gaze drifted to the Jacuzzi that he could just make out under a canopy. Now that was something he could go for.
When he'd found a set of swim trunks to wear, he made his way downstairs. He was glad to find no one else out here; he didn't usually mind people too much, but vacation was about him getting to chill by himself. The hot tub was just a plus.
Dean was startled awake sometime after the sun had vanished beneath the horizon to someone saying his name. He wasn't entirely sure how long he'd been asleep, but unconscious was a state he enjoyed being in. Especially in a hot tub on his pseudo-vacation.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," a familiar voice said.
Dean looked up at the Angel, ignoring the apology. "What do you want Cas? Did something happen?" he asked. Then something else occurred to him. "How did you find me?"
A confused look crossed Cas' face. "Sam sent me. He said you were in trouble."
Dean stared blankly up at Cas for a moment, his sleep-muddled mind trying to make sense of the situation. "Sam? Sent you?"
Cas nodded, his face still puzzled. "He said you were gone this morning and he hadn't heard from you all day. He seemed worried when I spoke to him. He tracked your phone and sent me here."
"I left a note for him," Dean said slowly, a realization coming to him. There was no way in Hell Sam hadn't seen the note he had left. And Sam hadn't even bothered to call all day, so he knew Dean was fine. "Dammit Sam."
"What is it?" Cas asked.
Dean looked down at the foaming water and pursed his lips. Ever since they'd stumbled upon Supernatural: The Musical, Sam had been at his throat over his relationship with Cas. To make matters worse, Sam had apparently read Chuck's books since then and thought a relationship between Dean and Cas made sense. And he wasn't going to hear any of Dean's protests. Of course, Dean knew he was only protesting because he thought he could get away with hiding what he actually felt, and he certainly wasn't in the mood to go into it with Sam before he went into it with Cas.
"It's nothing Cas," Dean finally answered. "I'm fine. Sam just thinks he's funny."
"How is this funny?" Cas asked, his eyes narrowed and his head tilted to one side.
Not while I'm on vacation goddammit, Dean thought. "It has to do with a case we did a few months back. It's nothing," he said, waving off Cas' question as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes again.
"Oh," Cas said, still not getting it.
After a few moments passed in awkward silence, Dean sighed and sat up, opening his eyes. "Cas, do you want to stay?" he asked. Realizing how that must have sounded, he quickly added, "I mean, it's late, and it's a long drive back." Well, that didn't sound much better, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Cas was studying Dean with of those looks that made Dean squirm and also not want Cas to look away. It was very confusing and Dean wished the Angel would just say something.
"I can stay," Cas said cautiously. "If you want me to."
Of course I want you to stay, Dean thought, and he managed to catch himself before he said it out loud. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind some company," was what he said instead.
A few minutes later, Cas was sitting at the edge of the Jacuzzi with his feet hanging in the water, having declined the offer to actually get in. Dean had talked him into ditching his shoes and socks, plus both his coats and his tie. With his pant legs and shirt sleeves rolled up, he actually looked casual.
"Why are you out here?" Cas asked, his tone curious.
Dean shrugged, feeling like there might be a hidden accusation somewhere under the question. "I took a day to myself," he said simply. "A sort of mini-vacation. Just to be alone for a while."
"Oh," Cas said, shifting uncomfortably. "Then maybe I should..." He trailed off and started to push himself to his feet.
Before Dean could stop himself, he had a hand on Cas' knee to prevent him from getting up. He felt his face heat up slightly when Cas' gaze went from Dean's hand to his face in surprise. "Stay, Cas."
Cas settled back down, watching Dean in that intense way he had. "Why did Sam send me here?" he asked.
Dean settled back to his seat and did his best to not look uncomfortable, though he was sure he was failing. "Just, something he thinks is funny. Don't worry about it."
"Dean," Cas said, clearly not accepting Dean's dodges. "You said it was about a case?"
Dean shifted awkwardly. "Yeah. We ran into a school doing a musical based on Chuck's Supernatural books." He paused, risking a glance at Cas, who only looked intrigued. "They, uh, the girl who wrote it, Marie, she read into it. A lot."
"What does this have to do with Sam sending me here?"
Dean took a deep breath. He might as well just say it. "Marie thought there was, a lot of, uh, subtext. Between us."
"Us?" Cas asked, looking puzzled again. "Us as in, you and I?"
"Yeah," Dean said. "And so Sam had to go read the books."
There was a pause when Dean didn't continue. "And?" Cas probed.
"And, well," Dean paused again, briefly debating the merits of holding his breath under water until he passed out. "Sam, he kind of... Agrees with Marie's interpretation. Of us. And he won't shut the hell up about it."
"Interesting," Cas said, seeming to ponder this. "So Sam sent me here..."
"Because he knew I was alone and he probably thought it would be funny," Dean said in a rush. He kept his eyes firmly on the water swirling around him.
Another few moments passed in silence before Cas spoke up again. "What about you Dean?" he asked carefully. "What do you think of Marie's interpretation?"
Dean felt like he was going to be sick. He must have looked a little green too, because Cas shifted so he was sitting a little closer and not facing Dean head-on as he had been.
"I think it's fascinating, how humans interpret things differently," Cas said thoughtfully, seeming to understand that Dean wasn't going to put in his two cents. "You all see events and interactions differently. And you can justify them. And your interpretation can make sense, whether or not it's true or correct."
"Are you talking about people in general? Or are you talking about Marie?" Dean asked, still not looking up at Cas.
"Both."
Dean could feel Cas' eyes on him, but he didn't budge. "Are you saying it makes sense, or are you saying it's true?" Dean's heart was hammering in his chest, making him feel as if it would break free at any moment.
"Whether it makes sense or not is open to interpretation," Cas said, and Dean could hear the smirk in his voice. "As for whether it's true? I think my feelings would have to be reciprocated for that to happen."
Stunned, Dean turned to look at Cas, not caring now that his heart was trying to break his rib cage. The Angel's bright blue eyes were watching him uncertainly, as if he were afraid he'd said something wrong, but not so afraid that he was actually ashamed to have said it.
"What do you think of Marie's interpretation?" Cas asked. He asked it simply, as if he were asking if Dean thought it would rain later.
"I, um, think her idea- that is," Dean started, the words stumbling over his tongue. He couldn't seem to get his brain and his voice to work at the same pace. "I- I think," he started again, speaking slower and more carefully this time, "I think she might have been right." The smile Cas gave him was small, as they usually were, but Dean swore it lit up the Angel's face like a kid's on Christmas morning.
Cas edged closer to Dean until he was sitting next to him, though still on the edge of the hot tub with his feet hanging in. He reached out and touched Dean's shoulder, tentatively, as if he were afraid Dean would run from him.
Dean watched Cas for a moment, feeling his pulse in his throat as he cautiously reached his hand up to take hold of Cas' arm. He tugged on Cas' arm, signaling that he wanted to actually be next to him, not on two different levels.
Nodding, Cas lowered himself into the hot water, not caring that he was still wearing his shirt and slacks. He settled into a comfortable position that allowed him to be both angled toward Dean and close enough that their legs brushed against each other in the current of the bubbling water. He reached out and took one of Dean's hands in both of his, though he wasn't sure why.
"Cas?" Dean asked, his voice rough. His breath hitched when Cas looked up at him, the Angel's face so raw and open and vulnerable. "Would you kiss me?"
Cas smiled then, bright and happy. "Of course Dean," he said softly, closing the distance between them and pressing his lips to the hunter's.
Dean wasn't sure how long they sat there, kissing and talking with their limbs tangled together. However, he was sure of at least two things. The first was that he would never hear the end of this from Sam. The second was that he needed to do this vacation thing a lot more often, and preferably with Cas.