Chapter Text
After his date, Dean came home to find Sam curled up on the couch, head resting on his knees. All thoughts of Rhonda were forgotten as Dean took his usual place, looking at Sam in concern. This was not how Sam usually looked after a date with Cas. Quite the opposite. For that matter, where the hell was Cas? “Dean? Can I talk to you?”
“Have I ever not listened when you needed me to?” Dean asked. Sure, he didn't listen a lot of the time, but this was different. Sam looked so lost.
“No, but… I’m kinda freaking out here, and I don’t wanna freak you out,” Sam said.
Dean wanted to reach over and hug him, but that wasn’t how to get Sam through this and he knew it. “Sammy, that’s what I’m here for. To freak out with you so you aren’t dealing with crap alone. What’s wrong?”
“I…” Sam stopped, and restarted with, “Cas and I went skating. Turns out we’re both terrible, but we had a great time. But when he brought me home… he said he loves me.”
Well, shit. “I can’t say I’m surprised by that. Which way are you freaking out here?”
Sam hugged his knees a little closer to his chest. It amazed Dean just how small Sam could make himself when he wanted to. “I… I think I might love him too, and if I don’t, I’m close. Dean, I thought this would go a few weeks and we’d have fun and then he’d realize that I am nowhere near good enough for him. Once you graduate, we’re leaving. That’s three months away, and if things keep going like they have, I will be in love.”
“I can’t say I didn’t see this coming,” Dean said with a sigh. “Been expecting to hear something like this for a week. Crappy situation, Sammy. What are you gonna do?”
“I can’t break up with Cas because I’m falling in love with him!” Sam said. “But the longer this goes, the more it’s gonna hurt when it ends.”
“Sammy, my relationships do tend to fizzle. I’m on, what, my third girlfriend since we moved here? I thought this would too, or I’d have let Cas go on believing you were off-limits because you’re my brother.” Dean wished he could do better at giving his little brother advice here. Still, there was one thing he knew for sure. “You need to talk to Cas. He gets a say in this too, you know. You can’t just ignore what this is gonna do to him. But what do you want to do?”
“I want…” Sam stopped to think for a moment. “I know it’s gonna hurt in the end, but I want to have the good parts, too. When’s the next time I’ll get to be somewhere I can be with a guy for four and a half months?”
“I don’t blame you,” Dean said. “Talk to Cas, make sure he understands that it’s over in June no matter what you guys want. Whatever you guys do, I’ll do whatever I can to support you.”