Work Text:
Maybe quarantine isn’t so bad.
Dean can’t remember the last time he slowed down this much, can’t remember the last time he just sat on the couch sipping a mug of coffee despite being 2 in the afternoon and let the sun kiss his face and enjoy the soft Kansas breeze tickle his hair. He’s always been a go-go-go kind of person between working 60 plus hours as Lawrence’s most wanted architect, designing workspaces for small businesses to brand new skyscrapers, and maintain social connections via charity fundraisers, ribbon-cuttings, and various meetings.
Sometimes he’s so busy he sleeps at his office instead of making the hour commute home. He could move closer to work but in doing so Cas would have to commute to his office. His roommate doesn’t even own a car despite being on the downhill slide to thirty, dude bikes ten minutes to work every day instead. Dean smiles into his coffee, he doesn’t mind the hour commute to and from not when it means he gets to live with Cas, his best friend since their freshman year of college he may or may not be a little in love with.
With quarantine work has slowed down, everyone respecting the stay at home order. After two weeks of nonstop cleaning and finishing all those small projects he promised he’d get done years ago, Dean’s run out of things to accomplish. This morning he did a load of laundry and the dishes leftover from Cas’s attempt at pancakes, and now he’s perched under the open window enjoying the first signs of spring.
Breathing in the fresh air, Dean sips his coffee slowly letting the sun wrap in its warmth. This moment reminds him of summers spent haybale jumping; reminds him of riding his bike in a light jacket with as soon as the sun woke the springtime sky; reminds him of sun-drying after jumping in the city pool; reminds him of the afternoon napping underneath the big oak tree in the backyard of his childhood home.
Peace. That’s the feeling on the tip of his tongue. Settling back into the couch while drawing his knees up against his body, Dean’s utterly at peace. Why hasn’t he done this more? Found time to just be, to just enjoy the day happening, to enjoy the sun and the breeze because right now Dean feels alive.
“You look like you are pondering life’s mysteries,” Cas says, plopping down on the other side of the couch; propping his cartoon-bee socked feet on the coffee table.
Dean hums, “No mysteries, just enjoying the sun.” He turns to catch Cas sporting a soft smile. Cas is a tax accountant and with the quarantine, he only needs to go into the office by appointment, and with tax season almost over he’s been home relatively every day. They haven’t spent time together since sharing a dorm room sophomore year of college.
“Thanks for doing the dishes, next time I’ll remember to spray the pan first before adding the batter,” Cas frowns, his pancakes more or less a charcoal science experiment.
“Hey,” Dean says with a softness he only reserves for Cas, “You tried, and with some good ole elbow grease I managed to salvage the pan.”
The sun makes Cas’s baby blue shine a bit brighter, makes his dark hair a softer shade, and makes the smile he’s giving Dean more gorgeous than Dean can remember.
With more of these moments on the horizon, Dean can’t help but think maybe quarantine isn’t so bad. Not when he’s gathering the courage to finally do something about all these lingering feelings, but until he does he’ll enjoy Cas, the sun, the soft breeze, and his wonderful coffee.