Dean and Sam had been living in Texas for over a year, and Dean had gotten used to it. He was used to getting off work and spending his nights hanging out with his brother while Sam tried to finish up his homework for the day. He was used to Sam being his main source of social interaction, with the exception of the phone calls that he still made home to his friends. But that didn't seem to be enough anymore.

Apparently, now that they had made friends with their neighbors, he had also gotten used to getting out of the house more than the few occasions he could convince Sam to go with him. Going out with Gabriel on the weekends had become an almost regular thing, but with Dean working two jobs he didn't have the time nor the energy to head to the bar with Gabriel anymore.

It certainly didn't help that the Novaks hadn't been over to their apartment in almost two weeks, either. It was yet another thing he'd somehow gotten accustomed to, that hadn't been disrupting the monotony of his life lately. The weather had, somehow, decided that it wanted to stay steady for a while, and there had been nothing but sunshine.

Their neighbors had been over a couple of weeks ago for dinner, even when there hadn't been a storm. Sam had invited them over just for some free food and company. It had been nice, and, even though Dean had been working both jobs, he had still found the time to cook for all of them. But Sam wasn't really a social butterfly, and he hadn't extended anymore random invitations.

Actually, Dean had been surprised that he had done it the first time. Sam seemed fairly content to spend most of his time with his laptop, only coming out of his homework bubble when Dean convinced him to. Not only had it been strange when his brother had opted to be uncharacteristically sociable that day, but he'd been acting strangely ever since. He kept looking at Dean like he was a puzzle that Sam had to figure out.

So, if Sam wasn't going to provide him with external social interaction, Dean supposed he'd have to do it himself. It was his last week working at the shop, so he would be coming into a whole lot more free time, and he knew who he'd like to spend some of that time with.

He made his way outside, debating with himself whether it was weird to just go upstairs and knock on the door to invite them to dinner. It had been two weeks since the last time he'd seen them, and for some reason Dean felt strange knocking on their door to invite them over. On the other hand, it had been two weeks of never being outside at the same time, and if he wanted to invite them over he couldn't just hope that the pattern would change just because he wanted it to.

At least he'd come up with an excuse to have people over. It was about to be his last day working two jobs, and that seemed like as good a reason as any to celebrate. Hell, it seemed like a real genuine cause for celebration.

Dean felt like it was a step outside of his comfort zone to invite the other men over, but he didn't really understand why. He'd never been so shy about making plans with friends before, and he didn't know why it was happening now. He pushed his trepidation aside and made his way upstairs.

He took a deep breath before he knocked, trying to calm his nerves. The door swung open only seconds later, and a pair of bright blue eyes met his. He forced out his usual confident grin, and was graced with a smile in return.

"Hello, Dean."

"Hey, Cas. What'cha up to?" Dean leaned against the railing around the entrance platform, as casually as he could.

"I'm just finishing my homework. Would you like to come in?" Castiel made to step back and allow him access, but Dean just waved a dismissive hand at him.

"Nah, I've got to head to the shop. I was just coming up to see what you guys are doing on friday night."

Castiel looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't believe we have anything planned."

"Well, what would you say to some free dinner? It's my last week working two jobs, and I'd like to celebrate." He realized he was trying to sell Castiel on the idea, and shut himself up.

"Will you be cooking?" The other man asked, as if he thought Dean was inviting them out to a restaurant. He didn't look too excited by the idea.

"Of course."

Castiel's smile returned at that, and he nodded. "Dean, I can confidently say that we would eat anything made by you, any time. I'll let Gabriel know we have plans on friday."

Dean blushed before he could help himself. He knew he was a good cook, but it was one of the few things he wasn't very good at taking compliments about.

"Well, alright then." He coughed into his hand in an effort to hide his discomfort. It didn't seem to work, as the smile on Castiel's face spread. "I guess I'll see you on friday, then."

"Would you like us to bring anything?" Castiel asked in that awkward way he did when he was doing something he thought he was supposed to, but didn't come naturally to him. It caused Dean to grin up at him again.

"Nope, I've got it covered. Just bring yourselves." He stood there grinning at the other man for a few moments before he realized he was being awkward. "Well, uh, anyway… I'll see you friday. I better head to work."

He gave the other man a little wave that he immediately kicked himself for. Why did he have to be so weird around Castiel?

"We'll see you then." Castiel offered a small smile before Dean turned away to walk back down the stairs. As soon as he heard the door close behind him he sighed. What the hell was wrong with him? When had he become so awkward?

It was the end of his time at the shop, and he found that he was actually going to miss it. Yeah, it sucked working two jobs, but the rapport he'd developed with the old man had made him feel closer to home than anything else had since they'd moved. Ken was grumpy and uncooperative, even scaring away customers at times, but he was exactly what Dean needed. It was hard to find people that were so real. He didn't care if his attitude put people off, and he was stubborn enough not to change, even if it meant losing business. It was an attitude Dean could certainly get behind.

He had even taking to being the face that the customers actually saw when they came in. He'd found himself doing more of the customer service than he'd originally intended, but he also found that he didn't mind it as much as he thought he would. The quality of work that he and Ken put out was so high that he'd yet to have to deal with an irate customer.

Even the pricing for their work couldn't be argued. No one else in the area was willing to do work at the low prices that Ken was quoting people. It helped that his shop was smaller, and older. The bills were lower, and Ken didn't have to worry about paying any employees. He could pretty much just charge whatever he thought the work was worth.

The atmosphere at the shop was so different from any of the other places that Dean had ever worked, and he found that he was truly going to miss it. Even if it was going to free up a lot of his time.

"Your last day, huh?" Ken asked as Dean ambled out into the bay. He was replacing the brakes on an old Thunderbird that Dean had every intention of doing the test drive on afterward. The thing had a huge 5.0 engine in it, and even if it wasn't the best looking car around, it would be a joy to drive.

"Looks like it." Dean glanced over at Baby, parked up by the road. She was back to mint condition, although it had taken longer than he'd thought to get her there. He'd been busy with helping Ken around the shop, and so exhausted by the end of the day he'd had to work on her in smaller increments than he'd originally planned. Added to the fact that a hundred tiny dents took more effort to get out than one larger one. But she was perfect once again.

"Well, I can't say I won't miss having you around." Ken said gruffly from inside the wheelwell. The admission shocked Dean, but the way the other man was concentrating so hard on the brake lines made more sense, then. He found himself grinning at that predictable nature.

He turned his own attention toward prying open the caliper on the other wheel. "Yeah, I'll miss it here too."

They worked in near silence as they tag teamed the brake change. It was mindless work, and they usually would have tried to out sarcasm each other to keep themselves entertained, but after their awkward admissions they chose silence instead. The work was done with only the quiet cursing that comes along with trying to get rusty old car parts to come apart.

"You almost done over there? I'll take her out for a test drive when you get that other wheel on."

"Like hell! I wanted to take her out! You don't even know how to properly test a beast like this!"

"My shop, my test drive. You think I can trust some punk kid to handle an engine this big?"

"Well, I just wouldn't want you to break a hip or anything, old man."

They grinned at each other, happy to be back on the sure footing of their regular repartee.

"Alright, alright. That's enough out of you." Ken waved a dismissive hand. "Test her out, and I'll do the paperwork. That's the only job I have right now, anyway."

Dean tried not to let his sadness seep in as he put his tire back on. This was his last job here? He didn't expect that his last day would have been cut so short.

"Meet me in the office when you're done." He heard Ken say before the sound of the door closing.

He tightened the lug nuts in the required star pattern before lowering the wheels back onto the shop floor. The knowledge that this was his last car was enough that the what should have been a fun test drive was just another car.

He made his way into the shop, hanging the keys on the appropriate hook, before making his way back to the office. Ken was sitting behind the desk, and the sight was odd enough that Dean suddenly found he didn't know what to do with himself. He'd never seen Ken behind a desk, and of all his time working here, this was the first time it felt like the man was his boss.

"Listen, Dean." Ken started, but didn't really seem to know what to say after that. Instead he leaned forward, pushing a rectangle of paper across his desk. Dean would have had to be an idiot not to know that it was a check, but for what his mind couldn't fathom.

"You're a hard worker, son, and the work that you've done for me these last few weeks has been worth a lot more than the price of using my tools to fix up your old rust bucket."

Dean would have been properly insulted at the horrible misrepresentation of his Baby, if he hadn't been in so much shock. He knew the insult was the only way Ken knew how to keep the awkwardness out of the situation, but he couldn't even bring himself to respond properly.

He leaned forward to take the check off the desk and couldn't believe his eyes. In his hands was a check for five hundred dollars.

"What, no. Ken, this was not part of our agreement." Five hundred dollars was not a small amount for a shop like this that took small jobs and charged barely above cost. Dean placed the check back onto the desk, shaking his head.

"Look, Dean. I have gotten probably three times the amount of work done this month than I usually do. You've done more than your share of that work. And I probably would have lost about half of those customers if you hadn't been there to smooth talk them. You know I don't have the people skills necessary for the customer service side of this business." The look on the older man's face said he would not be taking no for an answer on this, but Dean still felt like he was taking advantage if he took the check.

Whatever look was on his face had the older man sighing as if he knew what was on Dean's mind. "I want you to know, there's always a job here for you, if you want it."

And Dean was blindsided again.

"I could really use the help. Even when I don't have a pretty boy to bring in the customers, there a lot of times when there is too much work for just me to handle. I can't guarantee a stable paycheck, and I know that you have responsibilities. Just think about it, and let me know." Ken got up from the desk abruptly and headed out the door, effectively ending the conversation.

Dean found himself just staring down at the check on the desk, his mind in a whirl. Ken was offering him a real job here. Where he could work on cars all day, instead of sitting behind a desk. God, it sounded like heaven.

Ken's gruff voice yelled from the waiting room outside the office, startling Dean out of his own head.

"And you better cash that god damned check!" The sound of the door to the shop slammed closed behind him.

Dean grinned wryly before taking the slip off the desk. Five hundred bucks was going to go a long way toward comfort in their simple lives.

Dean had a lot to think about. He'd have to talk to his brother, and he'd have to decide if it was worth giving up a steady paycheck for something he actually enjoyed. It sounded like such an easy choice, but if he'd learned anything in his life it was that nothing was ever easy. He still had a responsibility to make sure that Sam was well taken care of.

He stopped by the grocery store on the way home to pick up some things for dinner. His original plan had been something simple. Something he knew everyone would enjoy, but wouldn't break the bank. The knowledge that he had that extra money in his pocket convinced him to choose something a little more extravagant.

He couldn't have been happier that none of his guests were vegetarian when he spotted the thickest steaks he'd ever seen. There was no way he would buy something like that normally, but this dinner was supposed to be a celebration. He would no longer be working two jobs, either way it went. He'd earned some extra money, unexpectedly, and that was another thing to celebrate.

He Googled some side dishes that could be served with the steak, and got to work grabbing fresh ingredients that could only make the meal better. He even got a couple of bottles of wine to go with it. He was going all out, even if it was only for one meal. He'd earned it, and even if his guests (and Sammy) would be reaping the benefits; well, that was just one more thing for him to be happy about.

He hadn't really planned to talk to Sam about his job offer while the Novaks were over, it just sort of slipped out. Dean guessed it was inevitable, really. They were celebrating his last day of working two jobs. Everyone kept asking him if he was going to miss the shop, and he found he didn't really want to lie about it. He didn't want to just placate them with lies about being happy to just be working behind a desk again.

"Actually… Ken offered me more of a full time position at the shop." He stared down at his food, pushing his potatoes around into different shapes instead of looking at their faces. He didn't need to look to know that all other movement had stopped. The silence said enough.

"Dean, you promised the two job thing was only temporary." Sam sounded upset, as Dean had known he would be.

"I promised you that I would only be working two jobs temporarily. I never said which job I would be leaving." Dean finally lifted his eyes to look at his brother. Sam's face was a mixture of confusion and irritation.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know. I guess I've been thinking about which of my two jobs I would rather keep now that my time is up."

Sam still looked confused, but it looked like realization was dawning on the Novaks.

"You want to quit your other job." Castiel stated, making Sam's attention swing his direction.

Dean rushed to explain, now that it was out in the open. "I know it's not steady work. There's no telling how much work will be coming into the shop at any given time. Sometimes I'll get a bigger paycheck, but sometimes I'll be getting a much smaller paycheck. It won't be an hourly paycheck anymore, I'll only be getting paid for the work that I get done."

The pained look on Sam's face made him realize he was only saying the bad side of what would happen if he chose to stay at the shop.

"But… the work is much more challenging. Hanging out with Ken is almost like being back home, with Bobby. I get to wear my street clothes, and I don't have to shave every damn day. And I get to be active, instead of sitting behind a desk, pushing paper around and trying to look busy all day."

There was silence for a moment before Castiel spoke again.

"You would enjoy working at the shop more." He always said things with a confidence that he knew what he was talking about. Dean knew that the surprise on Sam's face at the comment was mirrored on his own face.

"Well, yeah." Dean admitted, even while his mind was trying to work out how Castiel had been able to figure him out with his inability to effectively communicate. That calculating look crossed Sam's face again. The one that he had taken to wearing since the last time the Novaks had been over for dinner.

"Well, what's the problem?" Gabriel asked, confused. "If you want to work at the shop, what's stopping you?" And it was clear that he honestly couldn't see the problem.

"It won't be steady income! One month we could be eating like this..." Dean waved his hand at the extravagant meal they had just demolished. "And the next we could be living off of ramen. I fucking hate ramen."

The silence reigned across the table again, and Dean hated knowing that he had effectively ruined the good time they'd all been having.

"It'll be better to just stay where I am." He reached forward for his glass of wine, the punctuation to the end of that conversation.

"What? No! That's stupid. Who cares about the money?" Sam's outburst was sudden and unexpected.

"Dude, the rent here is cheap, but it ain't free. And it's not like we can write home begging our parents to send us some money when we can't pay it."

Sam's face darkened a bit, like it usually did when Dean reminded him that they were completely on their own here. "I don't know when you decided that it was only your job to make sure the bills got paid, but I am perfectly capable of contributing if it's needed."

"Oh hell no. You have school." Dean put his foot down on that.

"Dean, that desk job makes you miserable. If you don't quit, I'm going to quit for you. And don't think I won't." Then Sam's face brightened. "It's about to be summer break anyway. I won't have school, and I can get a summer job if I need to help out. You'll have a three month cushion to figure out if the shop will work out or not."

Sam apparently decided that was the end of the conversation, because he grabbed his empty plate and headed for the kitchen.

Dean could only imagine what the look on his face was, because Gabriel grabbed his own plate before following after Sam. "I'll talk to him." He said under his breath as he passed Dean, leaving him alone with Castiel in the living room. At least Gabriel would be able to see it from Dean's point of view and try to talk some sense into Sammy. Hopefully.

"He just wants you to be happy." Castiel said, as soon as Gabriel was out of earshot.

"I get that, but I don't want him worrying about money. He's got enough to worry about right now." Dean gripped his wine glass like a lifeline.

"Right now, he's more worried about how miserable you are at your current job." Castiel raised his eyebrows in a way that said he knew what he was talking about, and Dean supposed he would know better than most. If Dean had Gabriel to try to make Sam see his side, then Sam had Castiel to help Dean see things from the other side.

Dean dropped his eyes down to the glass he was holding. He really did want to work at the shop, but he didn't really want to mess up the steady life they had developed since they'd moved to Texas. It was working the way it was, and he didn't really see a reason to change. But he truly was miserable at his desk job, and the job offer at the shop was so tempting.

A hand dropped onto his knee, snapping his attention back up to the man beside him. Castiel was wearing a soft smile that made his heart jump a little in his chest.

"I have been offered a position tutoring high school students in the area, and I have every intention of earning the extra money that we need. Gabriel doesn't want me to work either, so I have scheduled all of my sessions for times that he will be at work."

Dean didn't really know what that had to do with the information, and he was a bit distracted by the fact that Castiel's hand was still resting on his knee. Castiel's smile spread a little at the look of confusion on his face.

"I'm telling you this because no matter what you say, Sam is going to do what he feels he needs to. If he thinks that getting a job is going to allow you to do what you want, he will do it, no matter what you say." Castiel paused as if he was letting that sink in. "So, perhaps you should give this other job a chance. You don't even know if it will work out until you try."

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that." Dean conceded, although he was upset at the idea that Sam might go behind his back to find a job. He'd rather it if they could be honest with each other.

"Sam wasn't lying about this being the perfect time, either. You guys have three months to get back into a stable place if it doesn't work out."

The steady confidence that Castiel had while he convinced Dean to see things his way was clearly working. Dean was having a hard time even coming up with an argument against the other man's words. As much as he hated the idea of Sam having to help out if things didn't turn out the way he hoped they would, he knew that this was an opportunity that was as close to perfect as he could have hoped for.

A sharp intake of breath from the direction of the kitchen caught both men's attention. Gabriel was staring at them, his expression the picture of shock. It wasn't until this moment that Dean realized how he and Castiel were arranged.

They were closer to each other than they had been when there was a third person there, forcing them into close proximity. Castiel's hand was still resting on Dean's leg, and they were practically staring into each other's eyes. Dean would have liked to say the staring was a battle of wills, but it hadn't really felt that way. Castiel hadn't been trying to force Dean into his way of thinking. He'd been coaxing Dean into making his own realizations about what this job could mean for not only his own happiness, but Sam's as well.

Castiel drew away from Dean as he also seemed to realize the position they were in. Gabriel's attention was obviously making Castiel as uncomfortable as it made Dean.

"Gabe, help me grab the rest of these dishes." Sam commanded, sending Gabriel a significant look that Dean couldn't decipher. He hadn't even noticed when Sam had joined them in the living room.

"Yeah." Gabriel answered. His tone sounded off, and he didn't move from his spot, rooted to the floor. Sam gave him a little shove as he walked passed with his own stack of dishes that seemed to push him out of whatever world he'd slipped into. "Yeah, Sam, I'd love to help with the dishes."

Something in his tone told Dean that they were more likely escaping to the kitchen to talk, than do the dishes. A slightly awkward silence fell on the livingroom when they were gone, although the sounds of dishes clanging and the water running could still be heard clearly.

"So, do you think you'll take the job?" Castiel asked him quietly, breaking the silence.

Dean met his gaze again. That hopeful look in his eyes matched the one Sam usually used, and Dean was defenseless.

"Yeah, I think I will."