Dean's phone blares Renegade from the nightstand and he rolls over to check it. Squinting at the bright screen in the darkness of his room, he reads the caller ID.
"Shit, it's my dad," he tells Sam as he clambers out from under the covers and ducks out of the room. He slides the answer arrow and puts the phone to his ear.
"Dad? It's 5 a.m. What's up?" he asks, rubbing the back of his neck as he tiptoes through the apartment and opens the sliding glass door to the balcony. The hot, humid air slams into him as he steps outside and he feels as though he's instantly sweating.
Are you not awake? Don't you have exams to be studying for or classes to be at? I'm paying for you to go to college not go out all night and sleep all day, his dad replies on the other end of the line.
"Woah, Dad, it's way too early for a lecture. I was at practice all night and my class isn't until 9. What are you calling so early for?"
I just got an email from Alan saying that you turned him down at the Gala last weekend. What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you turn down playing for Pittsburgh? Who the hell do you think you are? I didn't raise you like this - to be so ungrateful. All the hockey camps and private coaching, all for nothing! Mr. Winchester shouts into the phone. Dean holds it away from his ear, leaning on his elbows against the railing and watching traffic drift past. You're throwing your life away! And for what? Some stupid college fling! And don't even get me started on you bringing your boyfriend and flaunting him around in front of all your mother's friends! Are you even listening to me?! Do you really think that boy is worth throwing your life away?
"You know what Dad? Fuck you. No, I'm not going to listen to this!" Dean straightens up, shouting over his father. "I've had enough of your holier-than-thou bullshit. First of all, you need to get over this whole gay thing. I'm gay. I'm always going to be gay. Second, that boy you think isn't worth it, is ten times the man either one of us will ever be. Look, I'm sorry that you don't get to live vicariously through me while I'm playing hockey for Pittsburgh, but that's your dream Dad, not mine. I'm going to California with Sam. Maybe I'll play hockey there, maybe I won't. But I'm going. I love him, Dad. I don't need your money, and I certainly don't need your blessing."
Dean furiously jabs the end call button, wishing he still had a flip phone he could snap shut. He rubs his hand through his hair, taking deep breaths to calm himself. His phone starts ringing in his hand and he seriously considers chucking it over the balcony, but settles for turning it off completely. He tosses it on the couch as he passes through the apartment and heads back to his room. Dean tries to Matrix his way back under the covers so as to not wake Sam, but Sam pops one eye open as Dean slides in.
"Everything okay?" he asks sleepily, rolling towards Dean. Laying his head on his pillow, Dean rolls onto his side and pulls Sam's arm across him. Sam snuggles in close, wrapping his body around Dean's and nuzzling the back of Dean's neck with his nose.
"Everything's perfect."
Sam and Dean lay on the couch that night, watching Game of Thrones, when his phone rings again.
"Maybe you should just answer it? This is what, the sixth time he's called today?" Sam says, pausing the DVR and looking over at Dean.
"Nah, he can just leave another angry voicemail," Dean replies, reaching for his phone to mute the ringer. "Oh, shit it's Coach."
"Hey Coach, what's up?" Dean answers, holding up one finger to Sam, who nods. "Yeah, Coach, I'll hold," Dean says after a moment. "I hate when he does this, he doesn't even have hold music," Dean tells Sam, holding the phone away from his mouth.
Dean suddenly stands and starts pacing the room as Coach comes back on the line. He walks back and forth between the coffee table and Sam's knees. On Dean's third circle around the coffee table, Sam reaches out and grabs his hand, pulling him in between his knees. He wraps his arms around Dean's thighs and squeezes him. Leaning his forehead against Dean's stomach, he waits patiently while Dean listens to whatever Coach is saying on the other end. Dean cards his fingers through Sam's hair as he talks.
"Wow, really? All three of them? So when do I have to decide by? … Okay, yeah I can do that… Before practice works, four-thirty?... Awesome, thanks Coach. I'll see you tomorrow… Okay, bye." Dean tosses his phone on the couch next to Sam, but doesn't move, his hand still running through Sam's hair.
"What was that about?" Sam asks, tickling Dean's stomach as he speaks against it.
"Uh, I got offers," Dean replies, and Sam tilts his head back to look up at him. "Three of them."
"Wow, Dean, congratulations! That's great! Which teams?"
"Toronto, Boston, and… San Jose," Dean tells him, grinning from ear to ear.
"Wait, San Jose, that's right by Stanford!"
Dean doesn't say anything, just takes Sam's face between his hands and bends down to kiss him. He leans his forehead against Sam's as they break away. Sam's sunflower eyes meet his emerald ones and he smiles.
The next afternoon, Dean and Coach Singer go over the offers from all three NHL teams, plus the two other offers that came in that morning, from Detroit and Vancouver. Dean doesn't hesitate as he tells Coach to accept the offer from San Jose, even though it pays slightly less than both Toronto and Boston.
With his career in motion, Dean leaves Coach's office feeling like things are really going to work out in California. He decides on a whim to call his father and tell him about his decision.
Who did you get offers from? his father asks, without a 'hello' or 'congratulations', not even a 'sorry I was such an asshole the last time we talked'.
"Toronto, Vancouver, Boston, San Jose, and Detroit," Dean replies, cursing himself for calling his Dad instead of just sending a text message or email.
So obviously Toronto would be the best choice of those teams. But let me guess, you went with San Jose?
"Sure did."
Your Mother and I do not support this decision. I will not support you giving up the career of a lifetime and gallivanting around California with… that boy.
"Well it's a good thing I don't need your support. It's been great chatting with you, Dad. Give my love to Mom." Once again Dean hangs up on his father, then switches his phone to vibrate and tosses it on the passenger seat of his car. The smile plastered on his face never wavers as he pulls out of the parking lot and heads for Sam's apartment.
When he walks into Sam's apartment, he nearly trips over Garth, who is lying on the living room floor, surrounded by binders and papers, a textbook over his face.
"Whatcha doin' there, Garth?" Dean asks, peering down at the cover of the Advanced Anatomy and Physiology textbook Garth is hiding underneath.
"Trying to decide if I want to drop out and move to Tibet. You?" Garth answers from between the pages.
"Study session with Sam. Take a break, man," Dean tells Garth, concerned over the guy's mental health as Garth groans.
"No time. This final is in-" Garth pauses, lifting the book from his head with one hand to look at his watch on the other wrist. "-fourteen hours. And since I've had a serious case of senioritis this entire semester, I've got about 90% of this book to get through before then."
"Shit. I guess I'll leave you to it. Thank God it's already Thursday though, right?" Dean laughs as Garth raises his hand in a thumbs up before it flops back down the carpet beside him. He walks down the hall to Sam's room. Pushing open the door, he sees Sam sitting at his desk, quietly banging his forehead against a stack of case reviews. "You too, huh?"
Sam wearily lifts his head and looks at Dean, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Huh?"
"Garth. He's currently laid out on the living room floor, trying to smother himself with his A&P textbook," Dean tells him with a laugh. He drops his backpack on the bed, then flops down beside it. "How many more case studies do you have to get through?"
"Twelve. Well, once I finish this one. What about you? You just have your ISB exam tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, last one. Should be decently easy, since I actually like that class. Do you have any exams tomorrow? Or just that meeting with the Dean?"
"Just have to turn in these case reviews and the meeting. Can you believe it's almost over?" Sam asks, turning in his swivel chair to face Dean.
"It seems like just yesterday I was graduating from High School. I've been a student for 16 years. It's gonna be weird to not have classes anymore. I might actually miss it," Dean admits, lifting Sam's feet onto his lap and rubbing them. Sam sighs, his head falling back on his shoulders. "You need a break," Dean adds as he watches Sam visibly relax. After a moment, Sam looks up, and Dean quirks his eyebrows at him. Pulling his feet from Dean's lap, Sam practically leaps on him, and they crash back onto the bed.
"Wait, I got you something," Dean says, reaching out from underneath Sam and groping around on the bed for the package that had fallen out of his pocket.
"For what?" Sam asks, not stopping the barrage of kisses and bites down the side of Dean's neck.
"For getting into Stanford, of course," Dean replies, his hand finally making contact with the small, flat box. "It's nothing major. Just a little something."
"I got you something, too. For Graduation, and getting San Jose. I was going to wait until graduation day, but I guess I can give it to you now." Sam rolls off of Dean and leans over to grab a long, thin box from his nightstand.
"Okay, you first," Dean says, and Sam pops open the lid of his box.
"Wow, Dean, I love it!" Sam exclaims, holding up the bracelet Dean had gotten him. It was black, braided leather, and came together at a black titanium clasp. "Seriously, babe, thank you. It's gorgeous." Dean helps him to put it on his wrist before he opens his own gift.
"This is awesome!" Dean pulls the necklace from the box. A black leather cord is tied to a black titanium curved spearhead. It's polished to shine, and smooth as glass under Dean's fingertips.
"I saw it and I thought it was something you would like," Sam tells him, a blush creeping up his face.
"Sammy, I love it. Thank you." Sam takes the necklace from him and unclasps it, lowering it around Dean's neck. Dean looks down at it, rubbing it between his fingers.
"I think it suits you," Sam tells him, and Dean smiles up at him. "Now, back to that study break…"
"It's finally here!" Meg shouts as she runs up to hug Dean and then Sam, Cas trailing along behind her with a big grin on his face. "We're finally done! Well, except for you, Sam. Another three years in law school. I don't think I could do it!"
Sam laughs, shrugging. He adjusts his mortar board on his head, curls poking out on all sides. Dean spins his around on his finger like a basketball as they all look around for their families. Cas's parents come over and Dean introduces Sam. As Meg, Cas, and his parents wander off, Sam spots his parents. They come rushing over and hugs are exchanged, Dean shaking John's hand after Mary hugs him.
"Are your parents here, Dean?" Mary asks, looking up at him.
"I'm not sure, actually. I haven't seen them yet," Dean trails off, glancing around at the crowd which is slowly starting to thin as everyone heads into the stadium. Just then he spots Jo dodging her way through the crowd towards them. "Oh, here's my sister," Dean tells Mary and John as Jo joins them. "Mr. and Mrs. Remington, this is my sister, Joanna. Jo, these are Sam's parents, John and Mary Remington."
Jo shakes hands with both Mary and John, and pleasantries are exchanged.
"Uh, Jo, can I talk to you? Excuse us for a moment," Dean tells Sam and his parents before towing Jo away by her upper arm. "Where are Mom and Dad?"
"Right, umm, Dad is in Germany. Mom went with him. I guess there was some sort of crisis to do with a hammer strut? I don't know. Honestly, I think Dad is still angry about the California thing. And you know Mom just goes along with whatever Dad says."
"Wow. I get that he's pissed that I'm going to the Capitol of Gay with my homosexual lover and all that," Dean mocks, a scowl marring his face, "but to skip my graduation? That's pretty fucking low. Even for him."
"Yeah, it absolutely is. But don't let it ruin your big day, okay?" Jo tells him, rubbing his arm and trying to comfort him. "I'm really proud of you, Dean. And you know Mom and Dad are too. They just have a funny way of showing it."
Jo presses up on her tiptoes to kiss Dean's cheek, and he gives her half a smile. Although he's still upset with his father and how he's behaved over the last two weeks, he still expected his parents to be at his graduation. Rubbing the back of his neck, he wraps his other arm around Jo's shoulder and they follow Sam and his parents towards the stadium. After Mary, John, and Jo go to find seats, Sam reaches out to take Dean's hand and together they walk under the class banner and onto the field to take their seats for graduation.