Prompt: 100 - anomalous
Title: Intimate Knowledge, Part 6
Author: my_sam_dean
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairing/Character: Dean/Jo, Sam/ofc
Rating: R (NC-17 for story overall)
Prompt: 100 - anomalous - 100 prompts for thought
Notes/Warnings: Contains personal medical issues.
"Are you sure renting a video is okay? I feel bad that we missed the movie."
"I'm sure it's fine. You couldn't help that your study group went late."
Sam got out of the car, opened Celeste's door for her and escorted her into his modest home.
"How long have you lived here?"
"Since Dean started college. We decided that it would be easier for us to live the same place."
"Looks cozy."
"Remember that it's a bachelor pad. It should be okay. I just don't want you to turn and start running."
"I highly doubt I'd do that."
"We'll see." Sam opened the door and held his breath until she walked all the way in. He closed the door behind him.
Celeste looked around and it was pretty much what she had expected. Sam was standing on the welcome mat, waiting for her approval. "It's fine, Sam. Where do I put my coat?"
He took it from her and hung it in a closet.
"Want to see the rest of my castle?" Sam offered his arm. She slid her arm inside his and listened to his running commentary. It was a nice home.
"Last but not least, the center of our home, the kitchen."
Her heart stopped when she spotted Dean seated at the table.
"Great, Dean, you're home! Celeste, this is my brother Dean. Dean, this is Celeste. I've already warned her about your sense of humor, but please don't scare her off ."
Dean noticed her panic and didn't give any indication that he already knew Celeste. "Nice to finally meet you." He shook her hand. "You make wonderful cookies. Sam is very stingy with sharing."
"Shame on you!" She nudged Sam's arm. "You should have shared. I can always make more."
"But they were for me! You didn't say a single word about sharing them with Dean." Sam tried to pout.
"Either you share your bakery goodies or I will give Dean his own hotline that he can order from."
Dean laughed. "She's got you there, Sammy."
"I'll go get the movie set up and clean off the furniture." Sam left the room.
Once he was out of hearing distance, Celeste turned to Dean. "I'm so sorry," her voice wavered as she tried not to cry. "I should just leave."
"No. You don't have to leave. I can help you find another therapist if you'd like. Sam's just been driving me nuts lately with all his mushy remarks. He likes you and I don't want to take that away from him. You're always welcome in our home. We can talk more about this on Monday and you can decide what you want to do then."
"Okay. It's just strange watching a movie in your house and you've seen, well, all of me."
"Celeste, it isn't the same to me. I see muscles in distress that cause pain. It doesn't matter where those tight spots happen. It's all in a day's work for me, but I do understand if you feel vulnerable."
"I should just leave. Sam deserves to have a normal girlfriend."
"You're a wonderful person, Celeste. If it's the sex part you're worried about, there are other ways to show someone that you love them. You decide what level of intimacy you're comfortable with. I'd hate for you to miss out on seeing a nice guy because of some difficulties you're having now. Just think about it and let me know. My main concern is for you. You'll have to bring up what's been going on sometime. Hopefully sooner than later. Whatever happens with you two, I want you to know that you can still come to me--as a patient or friend."
"Thank you."
His reply was cut off as Sam held the elusive movie high above his head. "I found it!"
Laughter filled the room and they had a pleasant evening. It was not as uncomfortable as Celeste had imagined it would be.
"So, what do you think of Dean?" Sam asked on the ride to her house.
"I bet you kept him on his toes when you were little."
"He did start most of the hijinks, no matter what he claims. I kept him grounded with all my studying and he kept me young with all the stupid stuff we did."
"Sounds like a good match."
"It is." Sam opened her car door for her and walked her to the door.
"So I guess this is goodnight."
She made some uncommitted noise.
"Do I get to see you again?" Sam had a couple fingers under her chin so he could look at her face.
"Yeah. I'd like that."
He enveloped her in his warm embrace and her anxiety didn't take over. He stooped down and kissed her cheek.
"Goodnight," he took a step back.
"Goodnight," she replied. She watched him drive away until she could no longer see the taillights.
Going to see Dean was stressful enough. Knowing that he's Sam's brother made her more nervous. She knew she didn't want to be referred to another therapist because that would mean starting all over. It was tolerable to see Dean, and it was only that good because of his demeanor. She wanted to keep Dean. She wanted to keep Sam. In order to do that, she'd have to fess up to Sam and hope he'd be understanding.
Her conversation with Sam was going to have to be some time into the future. She didn't know what to say to him or what questions her comments could lead to. She just knew that wanting them both in different aspects of her life was the right thing to do. Now, she just had to keep them.