Chapter Text
Dean didn’t know what he’d expected to find at the hotel. The five-star suites on the show were always so nice, every detail catered toward the contestants.
But as he was led to his room, he looked around in disappointment at the fading carpets and small hallways.
Not that it mattered. That wasn’t why he was here. He was here to see if Lisa Braeden could be his future wife. And he thought he had a pretty damn good shot at it too.
His mind drifted back to his audition tape, to his interviews, to the part that would definitely be aired with the first episode. His eyes widened when he found out who it was, a broad grin splitting his face that even he couldn’t control.
It was kinda embarrassing. But by the time she saw that, they would be engaged, hiding away from the public and watching the show together.
To say his friends and family had been shocked when they found out he was submitting an audition to the goddamn Bachelorette would be the understatement of the century. But he was Dean fucking Winchester, it wasn’t like he was going to advertise his dirty little secret.
It had started out ironically. A stupid show to watch and make fun of, because, yeah, it was completely ridiculous. It wasn’t his fault they made it so damn easy to get invested. He was only human and they had some damn good editors working for them. Most of it was probably fake, anyway. He wasn’t going to find love here.
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t gonna try. That he wasn’t gonna enjoy the ride. Hell, the free food was half the reason he’d signed up.
He snorted to himself and dropped his bag on the floor next to the small twin-sized bed. This was just for an afternoon. Tonight… well tonight he got to actually meet Lisa.
He wasn’t too nervous. If there was one thing he consistently didn’t fuck up on it was first impressions with women. Everything else in his life could go to shit, but at least he had that.
With a heavy sigh he collapsed on the bed and stared at the ceiling. It was as boring as the rest of the hotel, but at least it gave him somewhere to focus his eyes.
He could get Lisa to like him. At least at first. He wasn’t worried about that one bit. But there was so much more. He had to get her to like him after she saw behind the curtain. After she saw who he really was. And more than that, he had to let her see that in the first place.
He’d only ever really been in love once. When he was still just a kid, barely in his twenties. He just didn’t do the whole “love” thing.
So everyone in his life just assumed he didn’t want it. Or maybe even that he was incapable of it. And he was sometimes. It was just hard to find someone that he actually cared about enough to let his guard down.
But he fucking wanted it. Eventually, with the right person, Dean wanted to be in love. And that terrified him.
He leaned forward on the bed a little and craned his neck until he could see the clock. 2:30pm. Two hours til he was getting picked up.
So he better put on the fucking tux.
Sam had given him so much shit for how long he’d taken to choose it. But it was the first night. And it was perfectly respectable for a guy to care how he looked. More guys should.
In the end, he’d gone with a dark brown three-piece that looked like a damn good Brioni knock-off. He couldn’t afford it. But he didn’t care.
Drawing the blinds closed quickly, he almost missed the sprawling city below him. It really was beautiful, even though he would deny that to his grave. He’d always hated LA. Their dad had taken them here once when he was a kid… it didn’t matter now.
But there was something so ruggedly real about a city he always claimed was full of the fakest people in the world. Tall palm trees standing out on the crowded streets, the sounds of angry drivers floating up through the window, a heat that hung in the air so heavily it was almost visible.
He shook his head, knowing at this point he was stalling, though for the life of him he didn’t know why. Then he whipped the blinds closed and slipped out of his sweats and loose t-shirt. He threw them haphazardly into one of his two suitcases that could stand to be packed a little neater, and turned to the other, carefully pulling the suit out.
He got dressed quickly, his fingers shaking slightly on the buttons. Mostly, though, he was in control. And if he went home tonight, what was the worst that could happen? He’d go back to the garage, Bobby would give him shit, Lee probably would too, and then he’d get on with his life.
Dean walked over to the mirror, snatching the waistcoat up from the bed on his way. He shrugged it over his shoulders, almost buttoning it before he remembered his tie. He’d brought a silver collar pin (no, Sam didn’t know about that one) and he fastened it quickly before looping the tie around his neck.
He retied it twice, just to make sure. Then he fixed his cufflinks, buttoned up the waistcoat, and checked himself in the mirror.
His hair was still in place, so he wouldn’t have to redo that, at least. He took a deep breath, straightened his jacket, winked in the mirror with some added finger guns (no one was there, okay?), and spread his hands. Game time.
Just as he turned away from the mirror, there was a knock on the door.
He closed his suitcase and zipped it up before dragging it over to the other one already stationed by the door.
Then he swung it open, and was greeted with a smiling woman he remembered from his interviews.
“Looking good,” she said, her smile widening. “I’m Hannah, if you don’t remember.”
“I remember,” he said with a wink. Shit, he was gonna have to turn that off whenever he wasn’t around Lisa.
She paused for a second, then seemed to gather herself. “Alright, Dean. Well, we’ll take your suitcases to the house if you end up staying tonight. How are you feeling?”
He looked around, expecting to see a camera crew just seconds away.
“We aren’t rolling yet.”
“Pretty good. This kind of thing… I’m good at the first part,” he said with a shrug.
She nodded and stepped back from the door, gesturing for him to leave. He walked out of the door, his heart rate finally starting to pick up as the insanity of the situation hit him.
He stopped in the hallway and waited for her, but she just pointed toward the elevators.
“The rest of the gentleman in your limo will be downstairs in a few. I think one of them is already there. I’m sure you remember from the rules… you can talk about the show for now but in future travel, conversation needs to be limited to non-Bachelor-nation topics.”
He rolled his eyes at the phrase but nodded. “Got it.”
She gave him a last encouraging smile and turned down the hallway. He watched her walk for a second, then made his way to the elevator, waiting for the ding and resisting the urge to fix his hair.
The elevator ride felt like it took a few hours rather than thirty or so seconds. When he finally stepped out, he felt relaxed again. Yeah, he was about to be shooting a goddamn reality T.V. show. But he was nothing if not adaptable.
A woman hustled up to him with a pack mic and he made casual conversation, his eyes sweeping around the lobby. It was fairly empty. A couple guys were relaxing with cameras at their feet, and a man with a pretentious air about him was talking rapidly into a headset.
Next to the door, another guy about his age stood next to a lamp, foot tapping nervously against the floor. Dean couldn’t help but notice he was dressed nice. A dark blue suit that fit tightly against him. But, God, he looked nervous. Or… really more annoyed than nervous. If that was the competition, Dean had this in the bag.
Adorable nerds never get chosen on The Bachelorette.
With his mic in place, Dean felt another wall immediately go up, reminding him that when they got to the mansion this shit would get turned on and every single word from his mouth would get recorded.
That was the real hardest part. Being watched. Constantly.
He shook off the chill that came over him and walked over to the door where the girl who helped him with his mic had pointed him.
Lamp guy looked up as he approached, his eyes trailing over Dean, sizing up the competition.
“Hey,” Dean said, glancing at the lamp with a question in his eyes. “Gonna tell her she’s the light of your life or something?” He snorted, coming to a stop next to the guy and sizing him up. The suit looked better up close.
At Dean’s question, the guy rolled his eyes, his face going hard. Then he looked at the floor without a word. So, awkward and annoying. Dean already hated him.
“No, really, man. What’s the lamp for?” Dean folded his arms across his chest and let his weight fall onto one leg.
The guy kept his gaze on the floor but shifted slightly. When he spoke, his voice was extremely low, almost seeming to shake Dean’s chest with the force of it. “My mom told me never to greet a lady empty-handed.”
“Your mom-” Dean started to repeat but trailed off. “So you brought her a fucking lamp? From the hotel?”
The guy just nodded and Dean shrugged in defeat. Hopefully this one would go home tonight.
Two more guys walked over and joined them. The first was in a burgundy suit that complimented his dark skin tone perfectly. Dean could see his muscles bulging and rippling through the fabric, and the guy carried himself like he owned the place. No, that wasn’t it. He was in control, yes, but it was more that he was hyper-aware. Dean’s gaze swept up him one more time and he nodded to himself. Probably ex-military.
He extended a hand toward Dean as he got there, a smile fixed to his face. There was pain there. But he looked like a good guy.
“Jake Talley.”
Dean took his hand and shook it, hiding his wince at the tight grip. “Dean Winchester.”
He let go of his hand and looked up at the other man as Jake moved on to greet lamp guy. He felt a shiver run up his spine as he met his eyes. His lips were barely curved up like he’d told a joke that only he found amusing. His dark eyes were cold and emotionless and Dean fought to hold his gaze, his eyes instead drifting up to his black hair cropped close to his head.
“I’m Michael,” he said in a silky voice.
“Dean.” He tried not to let his voice show how unnerved he was, but the word came out tight.
Michael’s smile grew fractionally wider and he shook his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Dean.”
And then he was gone. Moving on to the other three and leaving Dean to shake himself off before he greeted the group of four guys walking toward him. Andy, Michael, James, Benny… the names flew in one ear and right out. He might never see these people again, anyway. Why get to know them?
A producer got their attention and waved them outside, where a limo already sat parked.
Once they were all packed into it, it was hot and uncomfortable. But Dean didn’t care. His heart was racing in excitement.
Because, yeah. Maybe he would get sent home. Or maybe it wouldn’t work with Lisa. But she was sweet and sexy and he got free drinks tonight no matter what.
In the car, they talked about the Super Bowl they would miss while locked away from reality, their friends and family they were leaving behind, their jobs, anything but the girl they were all about to fight for.
Michael was a big time lawyer in New York. Figures.
Dean had been right about Jake. He was ex-military. Now he worked in security.
Lamp guy still had barely uttered a word. He was closest to the door since he was getting out first, and he just stared out the window, letting the conversation pass by without him.
Dean jerked his gaze away from him and he stared out the window instead, rehearsing the line he’d gotten approved with the producers to use for Lisa. He thought he should just be able to come up with it himself, but since when was reality television real.
Before long, they were at the base of the drive leading up the mountain, waiting for a signal to continue.
When the limo started rolling again, the conversation immediately stopped. Everyone was staring out the windows, waiting for the first glance of this season’s bachelorette.
The producers had warned them not to be shy in holding back their reactions. They were all already miked, and while Lisa wouldn’t be able to hear much through the limo, the fans seeing this in a few months would appreciate the reactions.
As they pulled up the drive, no one commented on the beautiful mansion, or the shiny cobblestones that looked like they’d just been hosed down.
Then, there was an audible gasp through the car as they came to a stop and saw Lisa waiting there for them.
Her elegant black dress touched the ground lightly while her neckline plunged almost to her waist. Her jewelry was simple, but it suited her perfectly.
Some of the guys in the car cheered--Dean couldn’t help but notice that lamp guy was just staring out the window, knuckles white as he clutched his ridiculous offering--but Dean let out a shrill wolf whistle, grinning from ear to ear.
The ruckus didn’t stop until the door was opened to the limo and lamp guy stepped out. One of the other guys--Benny, maybe?--helped him maneuver the lamp out of the car and then the door fell shut behind him.
They couldn’t hear anything, but they saw Lisa’s face light up in a mix of intrigue and confusion.
Lamp guy straightened out and took the lamp easily in one hand, letting it swing gently from side to side. Dean rolled his eyes and almost looked away.
He glanced back at Benny, who was smiling at him. “What the hell, right?” he asked.
Dean just snorted and shook his head in disbelief.
Lisa wrapped her arms around him then pulled back, nodding and smiling to his words. She laid a hand on the lamp and Dean thought he could see her say “thank you,” before bursting into laughter again.
It was infectious, and he felt himself smiling without realizing it.
She gave lamp guy one final hug and then he was walking into the mansion, leaving the lamp behind him.
When he was out of sight, she held up her hands in a shrug and looked around for a producer who was already coming to take the lamp. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and exchanged a few words and then her attention was back at the limo.
Benny looked around at the other guys and Dean gave him a thumbs up before he stepped out onto the drive, straightening his suit jacket before the door swung shut.
Dean watched distractedly as Benny walked up to her, tilting his head like he was used to wearing a hat. Lisa pouted at something he said and then smiled, her eyes glittering the whole time.
Benny pulled her in for a hug and then disappeared.
One of the other guys went next, and Dean didn’t pay much attention. Instead, he stared at Lisa, letting himself daydream for a second. She could be his wife. In just a few months, he could be engaged.
A bolt of fear went through him at the thought but he ignored it. This was something he could do. “Something you deserve,” Sam had said.
Another guy went and soon it was just Jake and then Dean. Michael and the last guy were behind him, and he wondered not for the first time if they were the last limo, and therefore the last ones to make an impression on her.
The producers hadn’t told him when he asked.
Jake stepped out of the car and slammed the door behind him before the footman even had a chance to close it. Dean watched his back through the window as he took a strong stance and called something too muffled to make out to Lisa.
Her smile slipped fractionally and she shifted her weight back, seeming to almost take a defensive stance as he walked the rest of the way up the drive to meet her. Dean instinctively looked to the side where the cameras were and saw a producer (Naomi, if he remembered right) hiding a smile behind one hand as she nudged a cameraman and pointed at Jake.
Jake stood in front of her, crowding in on her space, and leaned in to whisper in her ear. A look of disgust slipped over her face before a composed mask took over.
Yeah, this guy had problems.
Lisa was a good sport, but when he finally leaned back, she gave him a look like she wanted to run. She gave him a quick hug and muttered a few words before gesturing for him to go inside.
He did, with a quick nod and salute, and Dean finally let his eyebrows relax from where they’d risen halfway up his forehead.
God, they say people do crazy shit on the first night… The twisted part of Dean wanted to hear what Jake had said.
Lisa took a second to gather herself, shooting a glare in Naomi's direction, and then nodded once toward the limo.
Dean took a breath in and relaxed, then he stepped out the opened door.
Lisa’s gaze was intoxicating. Just looking at her, he already felt completely at ease.
He buttoned up his suit jacket and spread his arms for her to see before walking up to her.
She pulled him into a hug and he held her tightly before letting go, keeping his hands lightly in hers.
“I’m Dean,” he started with a smile.
“Dean,” she repeated. “Looking good,” she added, eyes sweeping up slowly over his suit.
He let his grin slip into a smirk and winked once. “Don’t objectify me,” he said teasingly.
Her mouth fell open as she smiled and she shook her head. “I just wanted to say,” he said, swinging their hands lightly together, “Ben has amazing taste in music.”
She laughed, her whole body rolling forward as her grip on his hands tightened.
“It started with AC/DC and after that it just spiraled.” Her whole face seemed to glow when talking about Ben, and he couldn’t stop the wide grin covering his face. “I think Led Zeppelin is the current favorite.”
Dean nodded, his smile starting to hurt his cheek. “He more of a Stairway kid or a Kashmir kid?”
She just shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you. Maybe you’ll get to ask him.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she closed up, like she’d given too much away. But he pretended not to notice, instead smiling.
“Guess so. Kids are the best, huh?”
She pulled him in for another hug, and he wrapped his arms around her.
“Well, I’ll see you inside,” he said when they stepped back.
“See you inside, Dean.”
He walked away, nerves buzzing in excitement. That had gone better than he could have hoped. At least he hadn’t looked like a total idiot.
Still, he could almost hear Sam’s voice in his head, repeating ‘Kids are the best’ with a mocking grin on his face. Whatever, Sam didn’t know a thing about women. The fact he’d landed Eileen was a goddamn miracle.
As he walked past the fountain and toward the door, Hannah gestured for him to follow her into a side room where a camera was set up in front of a chair.
“If you’ll have a seat,” she said simply.
He sat and looked at the camera, reaching up a hand to fix his hair.
The red light flashed on and the man behind it nodded at Hannah.
“How do you think that went?” she asked. “And, I’ll remind you since it’s been a few days since you did one of these, please include the question in your answer.”
He nodded and cleared his throat. “I think that went really well. I think if I can just be myself, I won’t have a problem.” He tried to remember the person he wanted to portray to the audience. The cocky, slightly arrogant, but overall sweet guy. “And I’m really hopeful that I’ll get a chance to talk to Ben about Zepp, kid’s got taste.”
Hannah hid a smile behind the camera and nodded. “And what do you think of Lisa?”
“Lisa is great,” he said immediately. “I mean watching her last season I was immediately drawn to her. She’s such a good mother, such a sweet girl. And she’s hot as hell, too,” he added like an afterthought.
Hannah nodded and set down a clipboard she’d been holding. “Thank you, Dean. If you’ll go through that door back there,” she pointed behind the chair he was sitting in, “The other guys are waiting. Lisa will be in as soon as she’s done greeting people. Feel free to help yourself to a drink, but remember that you can only have two drinks an hour. Food is in the kitchen.”
He took all that in slowly, taking a second to process. He had greeted Lisa. He was here. This was it. And his worthless ass had a chance of making it past the first night.
He passed through the small hallway into the gorgeous room where a large group of guys were waiting. From the looks of it, they had been the last limo.
He noted a few familiar faces. Benny was sitting on the couch striking up a conversation with a shorter guy with brown hair. Lamp guy was in the corner by himself, sipping on a cocktail already.
Jake was on the opposite corner of the couch, talking to a tall guy that gave Dean chills just looking at him. As he stood in the doorway, Benny called his name and motioned him over.
Dean smoothed out his suit and walked over, sitting on the couch. He held out his hand to the guy Benny had been talking to.
“Hey, I’m Dean.”
“Mick Davies,” he responded. He spoke with a heavy Cockney accent and sat with the manners of a pretentious dick. He didn’t bother Dean as much as he should have, though. There were enough psychos here that he could stand one uptight guy.
“So?” Benny said.
“So, what?”
“How’d it go?”
Dean shrugged and sat next to them, leaning back on the couch. “Okay, I think. You guys?”
“Good,” Benny said with a smirk, punching Dean on the shoulder.
“Awful,” Mick chimed in. “I completely botched everything. Forgot what I was supposed to say.”
Dean laughed and after a second they both joined in. “That’s better than going crazy,” he said nonchalantly. “I’m sure she appreciated a little silence.”
Mick rolled his eyes but nodded. “Maybe you’re right. I’m going to get a drink, can I get you anything?”
Both Benny and Dean shook their heads and Mick stood, disappearing into the kitchens.
“So, Dean, outside of your glamorous life as a bachelor,” Benny paused, his eyes glimmering as his southern drawl thickened, “what do you do?”
Dean leaned forward on the couch and crossed his hands in front of him, settling them on his elbows on his knees. “I work with cars, mainly. My- well, my uncle- he owns a yard and I set up a repair shop in the back.”
As he spoke, Benny’s eyes lit up and he leaned forward to match Dean. “I’ve worked with cars all my life. Lost my job a couple months ago and now I’m in sales. But I wish I was working in the garage still.”
“You some kind of used car salesman, then?”
Benny just shrugged. “Whatever I can sell.”
“Got any classics?” Dean asked, his mind drifting back to his Baby. That was the hardest thing to leave behind. Not the job, not his family (okay, maybe), but his car…
Benny got animated after that, going through a couple different models they’d just brought in. Dean listened intently, glad he’d found someone with at least some sense in this hellhole. After a minute, he looked up and saw the lamp guy watching him. Just staring from across the room, his face intense but somehow blank.
Dean jerked his glance away and looked at Benny.
“Wish I had my phone,” Dean said, when Benny had stopped for a second. He was trying to ignore the strange blue eyes fixed on him, but he could feel them tracking his every move. Hell, maybe he was listening to everything too. “I got this ‘67 Chevy Impala, she’s beautiful.”
Benny smiled at that, listening to Dean go on about how he’d fixed her up, built her from the ground up. He left out everything before she’d gotten totaled, and Benny didn’t ask. He didn’t need the cameras getting that just yet. And he was extremely aware that every word he was saying was being recorded.
Before long a producer walked in that he didn’t recognize. He told them Lisa would be coming in, laid down a few more ground rules that they’d all heard a million times by this point, and then gave the camera crew a few directions.
When everything was set up, the doors to the mansion opened and they could hear Lisa’s high heels on the tile so they all looked up to see her walk in.
“Hi!” she said enthusiastically, glancing around the room. “How’s everyone feeling?”
Her smile was contagious and soon the whole room was beaming, sneaking glances at each other but mostly keeping their eyes fixed on her. There were a few murmured answers to her question, most people too afraid to say anything.
“Alright, well,” she raised the cocktail glass in her hand, “Have some drinks, some food. Enjoy yourselves! I can’t wait to get to know all of you.”
As soon as she had finished, the guy who had been talking to Jake stepped forward and took Lisa’s arm.
“Can I steal you for a second?” The voice grated against Dean’s ears and he visibly winced, but Lisa seemed to be taken in and she nodded, leading the way through the back doors out onto the patio next to the pool.
“That’s Nick,” Benny filled him in.
“Asshole,” Dean muttered. Benny just smiled and nodded with him.
After a minute, Dean decided to get up and get a drink. He was sure he would have his time to steal Lisa away later, and he needed to loosen up a little.
He just hoped to God they had beer and he wouldn’t have to drink this fruity shit for the next couple months.
Couple months, Winchester? Someone’s getting pretty confident for a worthless piece of shit.
He shut the thoughts off and walked to the kitchen. They did have beer but he had to put it in those stupid fancy cups. He got some food too, the tables were loaded with it. He wasn’t going to spend all night in here, of course, but he sure as hell wanted to.
The kitchen had been empty when he walked in, which was somewhat surprising. But as he loaded a plate with different crackers and things, someone walked in. He glanced up and fought an eye roll, determined to get out of the kitchen as soon as possible.
“Did the lamp thing work?” he asked when the silence had gotten too awkward for him.
The guy tilted his head, his face deadly serious. “I think she liked it.”
Dean shoved a jalepeño popper in his mouth in response, but it was still hot from the oven and he spit it back onto his plate, coughing and reaching for his beer. Lamp guy was just staring at him, his head still tilted, his eyes full of confusion.
The heat rushed into his cheeks and Dean let his eyes fall, side-eyeing the cameras next to him and hoping there was something more interesting about the first night to include than him choking to death in front of- well, in front of whoever this guy was.
“You’re Dean, right?” he asked. Dean’s own name sounded different in that low gravelly tone, and it caught him off guard. But he recovered quickly enough and nodded.
“And you are…?” he responded, mostly out of politeness. If it were up to him he would have gotten the hell out of that kitchen by now. Maybe he could find Lisa; he didn’t have all night anymore.
“Castiel,” the man said simply.
“Castiel?” The guy had said it like it was a totally normal name, not something out of the goddamn bible.
In response, Castiel just nodded, his face still grave but his blue eyes seeming to twinkle. Maybe he was more in tune to all of this than Dean thought.
“What, no nickname?”
“I guess sometimes-”
“Cas,” Dean cut in. “If you make it past tonight, that is… which-” he shook his head and then schooled his face, remembering to play nice. “Cas is better, is all.”
Cas nodded and turned back to the food, so Dean took that as his cue to leave. To leave and finally get some one-on-one time with Lisa. He had to find her, or why was he even here? If he didn’t make it past tonight… well, if he didn’t make it past tonight he wouldn’t even have the chance to fall in love. And he was here to fall in love.
The main room was full of chatter, producers pulling people off to the side while the guys tentatively got to know each other. Dean thought he saw Lisa outside but before he could make it to the door, there was a touch on his arm and he turned to find Naomi.
“Quick interview?”
Dean grit his teeth but nodded. They did have a show to make. But there was something about Naomi… he just couldn’t stand her.
He sat down in front of the camera and adjusted himself before nodding to them that he was ready.
“Have you had any alone time with Lisa?” Naomi asked once the camera was rolling.
Dean jerked his gaze away from her and her stupid clipboard and fixed a cocky smile on her face. “You know, I haven’t gotten any one-on-one time yet. But I’m not worried about it at all. She and I had a great first talk, and the night’s still young. Of course, I want that time with her, but there’s a lot of guys here, and you have to be realistic.”
“What do you think of the other contestants?”
“There’s some great guys here, for sure. I don’t know how many of them are really Lisa’s type… but, you know, I think she could find someone out of this group.”
“You and Benny seemed to get along well,” Naomi prompted.
“Benny’s a great guy,” Dean said immediately. “We have a lot in common, and I think we both feel a lot more relaxed now that we know not everyone here is an enemy.”
“Is Castiel an enemy?” Naomi asked immediately, already tapping her foot anxiously like she wanted to be done with this interview and move on to bigger and better things.
“The guy with the lamp?” Dean snorted, careful of each word. This guy was probably going home tonight, so it wouldn’t really matter what he said. But he didn’t want to seem too cruel, too invested in the other guys. “Look, Cas is- Castiel seems okay. I just don’t think Lisa’s the girl for him, you know? And I definitely don’t think he’s the guy for Lisa.”
Naomi made a quick note on the clipboard and then nodded.
“Thanks, Dean. You’re good to go.”
Dean adjusted his mic pack and nodded, leaving the room. When he walked back out, he was greeted with the chatter of guys frustrated they hadn’t gotten a chance with Lisa. Tensions were already running high, and he could tell some of the guys had already resigned themselves to going home.
Not him, though.
Glancing around outside he couldn’t see her, but he walked out anyway. It was a really beautiful house, even though he’d heard the pool wasn’t heated. Who the fuck cared when you grew up on cheap outdoor motel pools anyway?
He heard raised voices and frowned in confusion, hurrying his step.
“Why not just one kiss?” he heard Jake’s voice saying.
“It’s the first night,” Lisa responded, but Dean could hear a slight shake in her voice.
“C’mon,” Jake said, louder this time.
Dean broke into a run. The voices seemed to be coming from around the corner of the house, probably one of those little alcoves with couches set up.
“You’ll want to keep me around sweetheart,” Jake said, softly this time.
Dean burst around the corner, and without a thought, grabbed Jake by the shoulders and pulled him away from where he was, pushing himself closer to Lisa.
“What the hell?” Jake shouted.
Dean squared up, his heart racing, one hand held out protectively in front of Lisa. When Jake didn’t make another move, he turned to the camera crew, one eye still on Jake.
“What the fuck? Just cuz you’re filming this shit doesn’t mean you don’t step in… what the fuck?” he repeated in disbelief.
“I didn’t do nothing wrong,” Jake started, taking another step forward.
Dean met him in the middle, his eyes hard, and Jake hesitated.
“Get the hell out of here,” Dean said quietly.
Jake turned and looked at the producer and cameraman. He held up his hands like he was waiting for them to do something, but they both just stood there.
“Call a fucking car,” Dean said to the producer (Ketch, he remembered him from the interviews). “And security.”
After a second, Ketch nodded and waved over a PA.
A guard showed up and Jake was ushered away.
Now ignoring the useless crew, Dean shrugged off his jacket and offered it to Lisa. “Are you okay?”
Taking it, she nodded and gave him a weak smile. “I’ve dealt with worse. But thank you, Dean.”
“Don’t mention it.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down. This wasn’t how he’d expected their first time alone to go. “I mean- I know you would have been fine. I didn’t mean to-”
“I would have,” she said. She forced what should have been a playful laugh, but he could tell she was still shaken. “But I appreciate it all the same.” She looked at him thoughtfully and took a deep breath.
“Sorry, I’ll go now and give you a minute. Do you want me to get Chris or-”
“It’s okay,” she cut him off. “Really,” she said again when he hesitated. “Thank you, though, for not downplaying this. It’s just- I’m really okay,” she smiled softly. “Wait here.”
Dean’s next words left his head and he just nodded, his mind racing. Was she going to send him home? Or get one of the executive producers to talk to him? Did he break a rule he didn’t even know about?
He stood while he waited, trying to stop himself from pacing. A camera was still fixed on him, though Ketch had disappeared to God knows where. He fidgeted with his cufflinks, shivering without his jacket even though it was a pleasant night.
When she finally returned, he breathed a sigh of relief to see no one with her. Then he looked in her hands and couldn’t stop a shocked smile.
He didn’t say anything when she reached him, just stood there, his face a mask of confusion even while his heart raced.
“You’re a great guy,” she said. “And, I wanna get to know you better. So,” she smiled, laughing a little. “Dean, will you accept this rose?”
“Yeah.” He grinned as she shrugged his jacket off from her shoulders (he hadn’t even realized she was still wearing it) and draped it over him. Then she pinned the rose to his lapel and pulled him in for a short hug.
“Thank you,” he said as he stood up and took her arm.
“I meant it.” They walked toward the house in comfortable silence. Part of him dreaded the reaction of the other guys when he walked back with a rose pinned to his chest, and part of him relished in it.
A guy he didn’t recognize pulled Lisa away as they were walking back, and he said goodbye with a smile on his face. Then he walked back into the living room, greeted by grudging cheers and slaps on the back.
The rest of the night went by in a blur. Jake left minutes after the incident, and everyone wanted to know where he went.
Dean tried to say as little as possible to respect Lisa’s privacy, but he knew it was all inevitably going to get out when the show aired. The producers were a bunch of sick fucks, grateful as he was to be on the show.
He talked with Benny a little more, got to know a guy named Gabe (who was too chaotic to be real), and stuffed his face with food.
He could worry about staying in shape later.
At about 2 in the morning, a producer started gathering everyone into the main room. He guessed Lisa was doing an interview or something, or maybe getting a chance to eat. They were encouraged to talk while they waited.
A few minutes later, Lisa walked into the room. She settled onto the couch and exchanged a few words with the guys while the producers arranged everyone around her in a semicircle.
Dean didn’t pay much attention to it all, the first night was about deciding who stayed, and he was already planning on staying.
He did look at the other guys, though. Wondered who he actually wanted to stay. Part of him wanted the worst guys to stay so he would look better in comparison.
But not really.
Part of it was a selfish desire to not want the long days spent alone at the house to be miserable. When Lisa wasn’t there and they had to be content with just each other’s company.
It was more than that, though. There were some guys here who could make Lisa very happy. And she deserved that. Hell, they deserved that more than Dean did.
He hoped for her sake, though, that some of these guys went home. Jake already had, thank God. But Michael and Nick scared him. Cas was just weird. Gordon seemed okay but Dean had a feeling there was something he was hiding.
On the other hand, he could easily see her with some of the guys here. Benny was great, and so was Cole. Mick was nice, if a little nerdy.
Dean’s thoughts were interrupted as the room fell silent and Chris Harrison walked in holding a champagne flute. He tapped a fork against it (rich people… what the fuck) and the room fell silent.
“Having a good time?” he asked Lisa with a smile.
“Can you blame me?” she shot back, gesturing around the room.
He laughed and a couple of the guys joined him. When it was quiet again, he said, “Well, I hate to steal you away from here, but it is time for your first rose ceremony.”
Dean could almost feel the tension thicken in the room at his words, and the guy sitting next to him shifted slightly.
Lisa stood and made her way to the front of the room, facing the guys. She took a deep breath and let out a nervous laugh.
“Thank you guys all for being here,” she started with a smile. “It’s been so great to meet you all, and I really do feel like there’s something here. I want to find love. I want to find someone who can be a dad to Ben. And as crazy as it sounds…” she trailed off and looked around at all of them, “I think that in this group of guys, I could find that.”
She turned from them and Chris held out his arm to lead her into the next room. Dean’s face hurt from smiling and he let his face fall for a second, conscious as ever of the cameras fixed on him.
As soon as Lisa had left the room producers had swept in, directing people all over the place. Hannah pulled him aside again into the same room for an interview and he rolled his shoulders to ease his aching back before smiling into the camera.
“How do you feel about the rose ceremony?”
He blinked at the question and looked down at his chest. Then he decided to move past the slip and try to give her something she could use.
“I feel like some guys really know where they stand going into this, and some don’t. It’s scary, for sure. I already know where I’m going and I still feel the nerves.”
She smiled gratefully at him and listened to something in her headset before continuing. “How do you feel about getting the first impression rose?”
He smiled and held his hands wide in a shrug. “I mean- I feel good. I’m glad I got the first impression rose so I don’t need to worry about this rose ceremony. I do think it’s kind of shitty that I had to get the rose in the way I did… but Lisa’s an amazing girl and I’m excited to see where this could go.”
“What do you think your family will say when they see you get the first rose?”
Dean laughed and rolled his eyes jokingly. “My family will not believe this,” he gestured to the rose pinned to his chest. “I mean just- complete shock.”
Hannah smiled and gestured for him to stand. “Great. Well, you can go through there for the rose ceremony.”
Dean went through the door into the room they were holding the rose ceremony. 16 red roses sat on a small pedestal, and the other guys in the room kept stealing glances at them. A cast member pointed him to the far side of the stairs, tapping on an x on the ground for him to stand on.
He took his place and faced forward. No one was talking now as they waited. Just the occasional word from a director.
Chris walked in and talked to Naomi for a second before turning to face the guys.
“Ready?” he asked, and Dean wasn’t sure if he was talking to the cameras or to them. He found himself nodding anyway.
“Gentlemen,” Chris started, “Welcome to your first rose ceremony. Hopefully you all know how it works. When Lisa calls your name step forward to accept the rose. Dean,” everyone’s eyes turned to him but he kept his eyes on Chris, “you got the first impression rose. Nothing to worry about tonight. Everyone else… if you do not receive a rose, you will be going home immediately.”
Chris paused for a second and looked around the room, his face just blank enough that it gave nothing away. “So, I wish you all the best. And if you’re ready, here’s our bachelorette.”
Lisa walked in from the side, her dress falling gracefully on the floor, and came to a stop next to the table.
“I just want to say thank you again. This isn’t easy for me. At all. But you guys being here… it means a lot.” She smiled at them (everyone smiled too fucking much on this show) and reached down for the first rose.
Dean could almost hear everyone stop breathing.
She called up everyone one by one, and with each passing person, he could feel the impending disappointment grow. When she called Benny he breathed an internal sigh of relief. And then right after she called Nick and he had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.
It seemed like only a few minutes had passed before there was just one rose sitting on the table.
Chris Harrison walked back in and held his hand out toward the rose. “Gentlemen, Lisa. The final rose tonight. When you’re ready.” He stepped back and Lisa took a deep breath, reaching down for the rose.
She ran her eyes over all of them, connecting with Dean for a second before moving on. When she’d dragged it out just long enough to be awkward, she held the rose a little closer to her chest and said, “Castiel.”
Dean did roll his eyes for that one. He couldn’t stop it.
Cas walked up to her, his face still serious with maybe the barest hint of a smile at the corners of his lips.
“Castiel, will you accept this rose?”
“Yes,” he said simply.
She pinned it to his chest and pulled him in for a hug.
Dean watched as he walked back, taking his spot with the rest of the guys. When he looked back toward Lisa, she had a bittersweet smile.
“Gentleman, if you did not receive a rose, I’m sorry,” Chris said, standing in front of them again. “Take a minute to say your goodbyes.”
Dean watched as all of the guys who had left their jobs and homes to get a chance at this said goodbye. The room already felt emptier without them there. Just seventeen guys and one beautiful woman.
A producer came out and walked around with a tray, handing everyone a glass of champagne. When everyone had one, they gathered around Lisa.
“I had a really great night with you,” she started. “You really are a great bunch of guys, and I’m really looking forward to getting to know you. You ready to start dating?!” she added with a bright smile.
The guys cheered, all attention on her.
“I feel so incredibly lucky. So,” she raised her glass, “Here’s to the beginning. To finding love!”