So my aunt came over for Christmas dinner and was talking to my mom about her horses and the cute vet. Well, I overheard pretty much everything and a certain (rather risqué) comment inspired a fanfic. So I give you an AU with cowboy!Dean and vet!Cas with lawyer!Sam and baker!chocolatier!Gabriel with very little swearing and one risqué comment that is almost exactly what my aunt said quietly at the dinner table.
Dean awoke to the summer sunlight streaming through the windows of the converted barn he shared with Sam. Grunting, Dean pulled on a worn pair of jeans and headed downstairs.
“Morning, Sammy,” he yawned, making his way to the stove.
“Morning,” Sam replied, pausing his typing long enough to throw a tennis ball across the room
“Sammy, I said the dog could sleep in the house, but that doesn't mean you can sic him on me,” Dean complained, shaking off the energetic young sheltie.
“Here, boy!” Sam called, laughing as the fur-ball landed in his lap.
“You taking him to work with you?” Dean asked, sliding a plate of bacon and eggs over to Sam.
“Yeah, the guy downstairs loves him.”
“Mr. Big-shot lawyer's making friends with the baker?”
“Vet coming to take a look at Baby today?”
“Yeah, something's still off with her.”
“I'm sure she's fine, see you later,” Sam replied, grabbing his coat and messenger bag as he headed out the door with his dog. Dean sighed and threw the dishes in the sink before taking off for the barn.
“Hey, Baby, how's it going?” Dean asked softly as he approached the massive black draft horse. Baby nickered softly as she nuzzled against her daddy's shoulder.
“I love you too,” Dean laughed, “now how about breakfast?”
Sam pulled into his parking spot behind the sweet shop and opened the passenger side door for his dog before getting out of the car himself. He was just about to head around front for his dog when the owner of the sweet shop flung open the back door.
“Hey, Samsquatch! Your hairball's back here, come on in.”
“Thanks, Gabriel,” Sam replied, grabbing the door. He laughed when he saw his dog; his back half was wagging despite the hairnet Gabriel had put on him.
“So I never did ask, how'd you end up with fluffy here?” Gabriel queried, deftly piping chocolate into a mold.
“The neighbor's sheepdog had puppies and I talked my brother into getting one.”
“Your brother doesn't like dogs?”
“I had you pegged as a city kid, that's all.”
“No, my dad was a traveling ranch hand so we grew up on farms all over the country.”
“Arf!” the dog added for good measure.
“I better get upstairs, see you at lunch,” Sam smiled as he headed out the door.
Dean had spent most of the morning cleaning out the barn. At some point it had gotten too hot and he had left his shirt...somewhere...still had his hat though. Baby seemed to be enjoying the sunshine, she wandered slowly, often returning to nuzzle against Dean's bare back and chest – not that he minded – she was soft. He was concerned that she wasn't playing with the other horses though.
“Come on, Baby, let's go for a ride,” Dean offered.
Baby trotted over happily and Dean led her toward a tree with branches like a ladder. It took Dean no time at all to swing himself up into the tree and onto Baby's back. Baby enjoyed long walks through the fields and forests, and Dean loved nothing more than being six feet up riding bareback.
Sam was glad when noon rolled around; small town law was never very exciting, and most of the time his only company was his dog. At least during lunch he could stretch his legs and talk to Gabriel.
“Come on, boy, time for a walk.”
The dog jumped up on Sam eagerly before racing out the open door. Sam smiled, shook his head, and ran after his fur-ball. He caught up a block and a half away, that dog had a bigger head start than Sam realized. They were soon at the park, the dog being adored by all the small children and Sam being adored by their mothers. It was a little unnerving, and Sam was always glad when it was time to head to the bakery for a cookie or two.
“Hey, kiddo, the usual?” Gabriel greeted as Sam entered the sweet shop.
“I've been experimenting with carrot cake, mind testing some for me?” Gabriel called from the back
“I'd love to,” Sam replied as Gabriel returned with an assortment of sweets.
“Knew I could count on you,” Gabriel winked.
“So...I told you about my childhood, you going to tell me about yours?” Sam asked carefully in between mouthfuls of chocolate chip cookie.
“Not much to tell,” Gabriel answered evasively.
“I grew up in a gated community, and when my brother got kicked out of the house I ran away to pastry school and never looked back.”
“Don't be, it's fine,” Gabriel scolded half-heartedly as he pushed an assortment of chocolates toward Sam, “try these.”
“Raspberry. It's one o'clock, you heading up?”
“Yeah, I should get back to work, see you later.”
Dean was giving Baby a good brushing out in the fresh air when the vet showed up in his beat-up, old, red pickup. You could here that thing coming a mile away, and Dean swore that one of these days he was going to steal it and fix it up. Hey, this was a small town, cars disappear for an afternoon all the time – usually teenagers out for a joyride – and nobody calls the cops...just the parents.
“Hello, Dean,” the vet, Cas, nodded.
“Hey, Cas, Baby's been acting a little strange recently.”
Cas nodded and approached Baby. The guy was a little weird, but Dean had to admit he had a way with horses, they seemed to accept him as one of their own.
“Nineteen hands?” Cas's gravelly voice jolted Dean from his thoughts.
“Uh, yeah, nineteen even.”
“Yeah...you want to ride her?” Jeez, Dean was losing his mind.
“I don't have much experience....”
“You'll be fine, Baby's gentle. You can ride bareback, right?”
“...I've never tried....”
Cas nodded. Dean couldn't believe it.
“It's easy. Go climb up on the fence over there and I'll bring Baby over.”
Cas reluctantly did as he was told, and Dean helped him up onto Baby. Once Cas was settled, Dean took off his hat and handed it up.
“Now you look the part,” Dean decided.
Cas smiled shyly and, with a nod, touched the brim of his hat. Dean laughed and led Baby on a nice slow walk around the farm.
“Thank you, both of you,” Cas uttered as Dean helped him down.
“If you don't mind, I'd like to give Baby one more look before I go.”
“Sure, okay,” Dean replied, happy – not that he'd admit it – to watch Cas work.
Cas turned his attention to Baby, looking over every inch of her while Dean watched in silence. He was pleasantly surprised when Baby nickered at Cas and he nickered back.
“There's nothing wrong with her, Dean,” Cas quietly announced all of a sudden, “You take such good care of your horses, I almost wish I could be one of them....”
“Aw, Cas, you don't have to be a horse for me to ride you,” SHIT! Did he really just say that?
“I expect dinner first. I'm free on Thursdays,” Cas answered after a moment without turning away from Baby
Dean laughed, “Alright then, I'll pick you up on Thursday, five o'clock?”
“That sounds wonderful,” Cas smiled.
Sam walked downstairs slowly at the end of the day, his dog bouncing ahead. He couldn't believe he was actually going through with his plan.
“Hey, Gabriel?” Sam poked his head in the back door.
“I, uh, was wondering – if you're not busy – if you might want to come over on the weekend. We could take a couple of the horses out for a ride...if you want?”
“Thought you'd never ask, Samsquatch,” Gabriel grinned, “Sunday? I'll bring lunch.”
“Sounds great,” Sam smiled, “you have the address?”
It was almost Christmas, and Sam had been outside chopping wood. He blew on his hands and stomped the snow off his boots as he entered the house. The second he opened the door he was hit with the scent of baking and the sound of Christmas carols.
“Hey, Samsquatch, come get a cookie,” Gabriel called from across the kitchen.
Sam quickly crossed the room and, grabbing a cookie, kissed his boyfriend softly.
“How long do you think Dean-o and Cas will be?” Gabriel questioned.
“I don't know, depends on how long it takes them to find a tree.”
“How many cookies do you think we need?”
“Dean-o's going to hitch up the sleigh later and we're taking the Sunday school caroling.”
“...I think we have enough cookies.”
Before Gabriel could reply the sounds of jingle bells and Dean and Cas singing drifted through the cracked-open window.
“Sam! Gabriel! Come help with the tree!” Dean yelled as he guided Baby toward the door.
Later that night the four of them were sitting around the fire nibbling on cookies and chocolates, Sam's dog asleep under the tree.
“You know,” Dean yawned, “with the amount of time you two spend here you should just move in.”
“Gabriel?” Sam asked the man cuddled against his side.
“Be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it.”
“Dean? You and Cas talked about this?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, while we were out getting the tree.”
Cas hummed in agreement from where he lay with his head in Dean's lap.
“It's pretty late.” Gabriel yawned.
“We should go to bed.” Sam agreed.
“Carry me, Sammy, please?” Gabriel begged, hugging Sam.
Sam smirked and, picking Gabriel up, headed up to bed. Gabriel wrapped his arms and legs around Sam and nuzzled into his neck before falling asleep in his arms.
“Should we go to bed too?” Dean asked his boyfriend.
“Yes,” Cas responded, leading Dean by the hand upstairs.