A pair of sunglasses are perched precariously on the end of Bela Talbot's nose as she lounges on a float in the pool, book in hand. Her left hand is wrapped loosely around an icy glass of lemonade with a tiny pink umbrella in it and in her right she holds a battered copy about the history of lock-picking. Her toes dip in the cool pool water, and her silky hair is tossed up into a high knot of tawny strands streaked with gold, kissed by the sun. A scarlet string bikini leaves little to the imagination, and a pair of glimmering gold hoop earrings adorn her ears.

She makes a picture, Dean Winchester thinks amusedly, trekking his way across the backyard until he was at the edge of the pool. He waits for her to take a sip of her lemonade before calling from the pool steps, "Hope you're wearing sunscreen, Lugosi. Wouldn't want you to burn that pretty skin of yours."

Bela's head whips around to face him, her eyebrows shooting up from behind her sunglasses. She almost drops her drink into the pool at the sight of him, which he can't help but grin at.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

She glares at him and he could swear he could feel the heat straight through her glasses. "How did you find me?" she hisses furiously.

He raises an eyebrow in surprise at her vehement tone. "What are you so upset about?"

"I'm in the privacy of my own pool, I'm trying to relax, I wasn't expecting you...what else do I have to be upset about?"

"Well, don't be upset at all. I come bearing good news."

Bela shoots him a suspicious look over the top of her glass as she sips, trying to regain her cool. "This had better be damned good," she muttered. "Alright, I'm going inside to change. Don't follow me unless you want to die."

Dean watches her traipse inside the house, deciding it would be best to keep his distance until she cooled off her temper.

"Oh, and Dean?" Bela paused at the door, angling her head over her shoulder.

"Yeah?"

She smiles frostily. "You'll keep your eyes above my neck if you know what's good for you."

Dean swallows, keeping his eyes on hers with an effort. "I wasn't-"

"Yes, you were. So stop."

Fifteen minutes later, Bela is out of the house again, her hair soaking wet and her skin shimmering with sunscreen. She slides into a lounge chair across from Dean, and glares fiercely. "You came here to talk, so talk."

"No need to be so aggressive. Sammy and I wanted to let you know that your mojo bag, the one you lent us a few weeks ago, came in useful in hunting a demon."

"Really? I'm glad to hear it."

He hears the question in her tone even while she doesn't voice it. "So, in order to thank you, we decided to share the spoils with you."

Bela sits up a little straighter in her seat. "Oh? And what would a demon have that I would be interested in?"

"Not much," Dean replies, unable to hide a smile at her reaction. "A few stolen goods, that's all."

"And you want to give them to me?"

"Share," he corrects. "We want to share since you nicely shared with your mojo bag with us. Without it, this job would have been a lot harder."

"You held a gun to my head," Bela snorts, vividly recalling the occasion just a few weeks ago when the Winchesters had robbed her of her mojo bag. "I was robbed at gunpoint, hardly sharing out of the goodness of my heart."

"Insignificant. We're trying to play nice, Lugosi. Do you want the stuff or not?"

"Not as much as I want to know how you managed to find me."

"We know people who know people. We found out you were squatting here-"

"-house-sitting-"

Dean ignores her interruption. "So we brought the stuff around for you. By the way, you should really tell the people you're house-sitting for that they have lousy security."

"Dean, I'm not an idiot. I realize that the only reason you're sharing is so that in the future you can continue to take things from me and expect me not to get upset about it."

"You wound me."

"I'd like to. However, I will accept your...gifts. If I find anything I like, that is."

"I'm sure there's something for you in there."

"Well?" She demands. "Show me the things."

"Here." Dean slides a few leather pouches across to Bela, secretly glad to be rid of the things. They have dark magic, powerful magic. Certainly not the kinds of things he wants or needs, but he is sure Bela can sell at least one or two for a pretty penny.

Bela rifles quickly through the items, using her experience and native intuition to guide to her to the most valuable items. She pauses when she reached a sapphire pendant dangling on a thin gold chain, inscribed in Latin across the gold. "Is this cursed?"

"Yeah. It has bad history associated with it; apparently anyone who holds onto it for longer than a few days dies."

"And you wanted to give it to me? I'm touched," Bela smirks.

"I thought you could sell it quickly." Dean mutters, shifting a little in his seat.

"I intend to. In the meantime, you should make yourself scarce." Bela rises swiftly, and tucking the pouch with the pendent into her pocket, she walks back towards the house. "My house-sitting duties end in just a few hours, and I don't want to explain what you're doing here."

"Of course." For some odd, unexplainable reason that Dean doesn't want to ponder, he feels a little disappointed at being turned out so soon. Maybe for Bela, their relationship really is all-business.

"I'll walk you out," she adds, sensing his discomfort. She may have been many things, but Bela Talbot was also a lady, and Dean Winchester had just left her a gift.

"Ah-sure."

They walk in silence through the house, Dean taking in the details of the beautiful architecture with slight awe. "This is amazing."

She glances at him, surprised. "It is. These windows are stained-glass, imported from Italy. And the high, arched ceilings were designed by the Romans," Bela explains, feeling more than a little like a tour guide. She swivels around to gesture enthusiastically towards the tapestries lining the basement walls. "And these. These beauties were bought from an estate sale four years ag-"

Distracted by telling Dean about the house, her heel catches on a snag in the rug, and without more time than it takes to let out a soft curse, Bela's knee buckles.

Hastily preparing to break her fall, she spreads her arms out, but is merely caught and righted again. Inhaling deeply, Bela twists to face Dean, suddenly breathless.

"Thanks."

"Sure. You should...be more careful."

The atmosphere is thick with tension, and their words are uttered with a sort of quiet reverence.

Seconds tick by. Dean doesn't drop his hands from her waist.

Slowly, not wanting to break the magic of the moment, Dean lowers his head to hers, his heart beating faster. His lips have just brushed hers when the front door suddenly bangs open, and a masculine baritone calls out, "Bela! I'm home, darling. Sorry I didn't give you much warning, my flight was changed, and I came back early."

Dean's eyes fly open, and, not moving, he murmurs against her mouth, "Lugosi?"

"Yes?"

"Who the hell is that upstairs?"

A/N: Hi there! This is a little too long to be a drabble, but doesn't have enough plot to be a story on it's own, so here it is! Dedicated to fabulous Darz, who's reviews I love cherish. As always, thank you so very much for reading, and please leave a review!

P.S. -How do you all feel about a teenage Bela/Dean AU?