Dean Winchester's life used to be perfect. He spent his days hunting the supernatural beasts of the world with his brother, Sam, and his boyfriend, Cas Novak. Then his brother quit hunting to set up the Men of Letters bunker and Cas decided that he had better things to do, and Dean's perfect life shattered.
Two years later, Dean moves from hunt to hunt and tries not to remember everything he's lost. It's not a great existence, but he's managing. At least, that's what he thinks. Then he takes a job at a resort in South Carolina, where he sees a familiar face. Forced to fake a relationship with Cas in order to work the case, Dean has to battle his own emotions as well as suspicious employees, and a growing threat from within the resort. Something evil is there, and it might not wait until Dean and Cas figure out their feelings for each other before it acts.
The sign for Oasis is elegantly simple: just a plain wooden board in front of a long, paved driveway. Majestic oaks line either side of the drive. The background of the sign is painted a creamy, soothing white, while the letters are painted gold. Something in Dean scoffs at the sight, but some other part of him is caught in a wild, desperate yearning for the world which that sign promises.
He pushes that feeling away and drives down the long road. Heâs on the look out for potholes, but the road is surprisingly smooth. The Impala travels easily down the road until a mid-sized cottage looms on the horizon. Dean pulls into the parking lot, noticing the numerous other cars already present. Itâs a struggle to find a parking place amidst the other sedans and mid-sized SUVs, but he finally finds an empty spot at the very end of the lot.
Gravel crunches underneath Dean's boots as he walks towards the cottage. Several people mill around on the porch, making hesitant small talk. Their eyes rest on him as he bounds up the steps.
The air around the cabin has the excited buzzing of pre-vacation. On one end of the porch thereâs a pile of luggage, and thereâs a small table of drinks and snacks set up just inside the cabin. Dean enters, looking for someone official who can answer his questions, but she finds him first.
âGood afternoon,â a woman trills. Her long, reddish-brown hair hangs over her shoulder, almost unnaturally straight. Her smile is just a little too wide and enthusiastic, and her eyes would fit the description of dazzling. Even her bright, floral sundress screams enthusiasm. In the sight of such earnest customer service, Deanâs hackles rise.
The woman doesn't pause in delivering her spiel, either uncaring or unaware of Dean's discomfort. âWe at Oasis are happy to welcome you to our couple's retreat, and we look forward to enjoying your company for the next two weeks. Can you give me your and your partnerâs name so I can check you off of our list?â
âHold on,â Dean says. It was a long drive, and in the face of the hostessâ unrelenting good cheer, heâs overwhelmed. âI think thereâs been a mistake. I just need to ask a few questions--â
He glances around the cabin, hoping for a distraction. At this point, he almost hopes to see Samâs elusive hunter. He might not enjoy working with others, but they could at least provide the distraction he needs to get out of this situation with a little bit of his credibility intact.
âThereâs no mistake,â the hostess chirps, inflicting the full force of her smile upon him. âNow, please, yours and your partnerâs name?â
Dean blinks. His not-so-carefully rehearsed script vanishes as though it never existed, and he wants nothing more than to escape. The hostess blinks at him, as though he hasnât done anything strange by staring blank-faced at her for the last thirty seconds.
Dean looks around the room, hoping for some kind of salvation. He finds it in the form of a messy head of dark hair and a broad set of shoulders. Dean blinks, not believing his eyes. His heart jumps into his throat, and his blood starts pounding in his ears. After all this time, after their last parting, to see him /now/, on a huntâŚ
âYour partnerâs name, sir?â
The name tumbles out of Deanâs mouth before he can stop himself.
âCas?â
