Will You Settle For Love, Epilogue
Epilogue
On Sam’s birthday, when they realized they’d been there a year, it was almost a shock. They’d been invited to Thanksgiving dinner with the Lopez family, and shared Christmas Eve with Stephanie, Mrs. O’Malley, and several other neighbors at a nice quiet gathering at their own house. Dean’s co-workers had organized a birthday celebration for him at a local bar on his fake birthday in March.
Other than that one incident, nothing even remotely supernatural had popped up on either of their radars. And they both knew with absolute certainty that if anything ever did, they’d pick up a phone instead of a computer or a book on lore.
Sam almost never needed any medication these days, and Dean had gotten used to waking up to his alarm clock five times a week.
Manuel had aced his SATs, and Sam happily helped him fill out applications for colleges, financial aid and private scholarships. Mrs. O’Malley still brought them banana bread and pie once a week or so.
One afternoon, after changing the oil in Stephanie’s car, she casually mentioned to Dean, “You two ever think about making it official?”
It took him a second before he got it, but he caught on pretty quickly. “Well, we haven’t really talked about it…”
“Look, I know I’m the neighborhood busybody, so ignore me if you want. I’m just saying, it’s obvious you and that gorgeous hunk of a man over there have been together a long time, and this is one of the few places where you can get a marriage license. Not some civil union or domestic partnership bullshit, but a real live marriage license. Not many other places can say that. So, you know, if you ever felt like that was what you wanted, you could have it.”
And yeah, Dean had been telling the truth, they hadn’t really discussed it. But maybe now it was time for that conversation to happen. He’d be happy just staying as they were, but he had to admit there was a definite feeling inside him that wouldn’t mind having rings and official paperwork. Not to mention the chance to share the same last name, for him to be Dean Winchester again.
Stephanie thanked him for his help, and Dean thanked her for the advice.
He headed back down the sidewalk. Toward home. He had just thought of a question he really wanted to ask Sam.