Sam left for Stanford, just as he said he would. It left Dean feeling gutted and utterly alone.

He couldn't believe the deal he and Sam made before he left: they could see other people, just not get involved. And neither of them imagined they even could get romantically involved with anyone else, but they knew that sexual monogamy was not going to be realistic. Especially not for Dean.

The very day Sam left Dean drank himself into a stupor at a bar, and ended up taking some chick back to his hotel room. He passed out before they got anywhere, and in the morning-after hangover fog Dean barely even remembered bringing anyone home. The smell of girly perfume on the bed sheets and some lipstick on the corner of his mouth cued him in.

Dean started to realize that without Sammy his life would be so different; so much more boring. He began to wonder why he was even sticking around with his dad at all.

What if he too could be free?

The young Winchester experienced a great deal of culture shock upon his arrival at Stanford. Perhaps the most unusual thing about life outside of hunting was trust. Everyone trusted everyone for basically everything. But Sam found himself on edge and on the lookout for danger at every turn. It took him a few weeks to keep from jumping at every scream or squeal on the crowded campus.

His roommate was pretty chill. A guy named Hugo from France. He had a thick accent and was a little difficult to understand at times, but Sam liked him alright. Hugo was more into studying medicine than girls, so Sam had no complaints. A fellow law student, Austin, complained that his roommate brought girls back to the dorm every chance he got, and was not very considered of noise. Sam considered himself fortunate.

And he liked Austin. Even though their dorms couldn't have been further apart on the freshmen block, they hung out and studied together every night at the library.

Sam had no idea if Austin was gay or not, but it didn't matter. Sam was hardly interested either way. At least not in a serious manner. He was pretty damn sure Dean wasn't remaining celibate in his absence. Why would Dean expect any different from him?

And Austin was sort of cute...

Sam decided just to let things go where they would go. He wasn't about to create drama.

"Hey do you want to get out of here?" Austin asked after reading a particularly long textbook chapter. The library was closing in ten minutes; it was late. Sam wanted to hit the hay.

"Like where? What would be open at this hour? It's almost eleven."

"I know a place." Austin answered vaguely.

"Alright. Am I underdressed?" Sam gestured to his casual faded jeans and green t-shirt.

"No. If anything, you're overdressed."

Sam had no idea how on earth he let himself get talked into following Austin into that creepy building. Even his hunter gut-feelings were telling him it was a bad idea.

But it least it answered one question: Austin was definitely gay.

The orgy more or less gave it away.

It didn't officially qualify as an orgy. More like a sex show; a BDSM sex show. A combination of a walk-through haunted house and a peep show.

Sam got led by the hand through dark hallways, dimly lit by red fluorescent bulbs.

All throughout the big building, window-like showcases featured live sex. Two, sometimes three, men in leather and chains, having explicit, unabashed sex for the onlookers to see, completely untouchable behind the plexi-glass.

Sam wondered why they weren't charged a cover at the door.

Austin read his mind.

"This is just for fun, Sam. Don't worry. No one makes any money off of this. It's a hobby. They all enjoy it. It's like putting on a play."

Sam raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Why did you bring me here? Is it… I mean is it supposed to be like porn?"

Austin laughed quietly. That was another weird thing. The place was almost packed full of people; guys and gals alike, but it was largely silent. There were no phones out, or pictures being taken; just a silent, mesmerized audience walking through a hallway as casually as if it were a museum or an aquarium.

It was bizarre.

"It's art." Austin informed. "And isn't it beautiful?"

Sam shrugged, trying not to notice the pale young man in the display box next to him who was getting a large amount of semen shot onto his face.

"Don't' be such a prude. I know you're gay, you don't have to pretend." Austin was much closer to Sam's personal space at this point.

"I'm not a prude. I'm just not naïve. I know about the sex trade market, Austin. These people are being extorted; pressured into performing sex just for what? Shock value? Promoting or advertising an ongoing prostitution business? Nothing is free, Austin. This is sick, is what it is."

Austin frowned. "Look… I know about the sex trade too okay? And the reason I know these guys aren't it, is because I used to participate in The Show."

Sam did a double take. "You what?"

"Yeah, I used be in box three; I'd have sex for show. It was fun. And that's all it was; just fun. They've got a gazillion safety rules, and if you break just one, you're out. They always use protection, you have to get health screenings every three months, and literally no one is making any money from it; you do it because you want to; not because you need money."

Sam's head was swimming, and he hardly realized they were slowly heading towards the exit.

"Why would you want to? I mean all of those people watching you?"

"Wouldn't you love to be a great work of art, hanging on a wall in a museum? It's empowering; being admired. I liked it."

"So why don't you do it anymore?'

Austin looked away, and Sam could tell he struck a nerve.

"Sorry, you don't have to talk about it. We should go home."

Austin agreed, and they quietly left the building at the end of the hallway maze.

On the way back to campus, Sam took Austin's hand in his.

"Is this your way of asking me out?" The shorter man inquired cutely.

Sam tried not to laugh at the obvious height disparity between the two of them. Austin was just over five foot tall, skinny and petite, while Sam was six-foot something, and skinny, but definitely not petite.

"I'm… not looking for anything serious." Sam said honestly.

"And…What? Because I had public sex you think I'm up for being your fuck buddy?"

"I didn't mean it like that." Sam defended quickly, although his internal temperature went up a few degrees.

"Relax. It's fine. I get it. I'm sure I come across as a slut. It's my own fault. I brought you to The Show."

"I don't think you're a slut."

"No?"

"No." Sam said firmly. He looked Austin square in the eye when he said it, hoping to convey his sincerity.

"I think you're a very intriguing person. And… I'll be honest with you. I don't have much… experience, sexually. I thought maybe you'd like to show me a thing or two. I have someone… back home… but he's alright with me having some fun as long as it's not… a relationship. You know?"

"I get it." Austin nodded. He looked down at his feet while they walked, obviously contemplating.

"So why do you not have much experience if you have someone back home?" He asked curiously.

"We literally just got involved the night before I left."

"Oh. Wow. Bad luck."

"Yep."

"Are you sure you want to fool around? It's more romantic if you wait."

"Well… He's not waiting. So I guess that wouldn't make it romantic. Just sad."

"Oh."

They were at the dorm building now; the place where they would part ways to go to their opposite sides of the building. Sam decided to wait and see just what would happen.

"Are you… Do you want me to come over?" Austin broke the silence first. "I mean I would invite you to my place but I already told you about my dick roommate so…"

"I think we should wait." Sam answer surprised even himself. "We've got a test early tomorrow. I should sleep. You should too."

Austin looked touched by Sam's considerate nature. They gave each other a rather awkward kiss on the cheek before saying their goodbyes.

And as Sam walked away, he realized that he was smiling.

He could get used to this.