Secrets and Camera Flashes

Chapter 71

"Charlie!" Dean exclaims, beaming. "Just the girl I wanted to see!"

"I want to die," Charlie deadpans, and god damn Dean can relate. Hangovers are a bitch. In a more cheerful tone, she asks, "What's up?"

"I have a very important question for you," Dean tells her. "It is incredibly important; the most important question you will ever have to answer in your life."

Charlie stares at him blankly. "You're going to ask me the most important question of my life while I'm suffering from the world's worst hangover."

"Yes," Dean says. "That's exactly what I'm going to do." He catches the smile on her face before she can hide it, and it brings Dean more joy than he cares to admit. He really likes this girl. He better see her again when this vacation is over.

Charlie sighs. "Alright, what is it?"

"Would you..." He pauses for dramatic effect. "Like to stick around for a couple days?"

Charlie's immediate reaction is to look to Cas, which honestly makes Dean feel a little better. He knows Charlie wouldn't agree if she wasn't absolutely positive that he was okay with it. Dean has no idea how Castiel gets his answer across, but Charlie must pick up on it anyway because she turns back to Dean and says, "Well, I got nowhere to be."

"Awesome," Dean says with a grin. "It's settled, then. You two are stuck here for at least two more days -- but preferably more than two days if that's at all possible."

Charlie shrugs. "You're gonna have to take that up with Cassie."

All Castiel says is, "We'll see," and the fact that he's yet to make up his mind yet just makes Dean all the more determined to convince him to stay. No, that's not quite it. It's not that he wants to convince him to stay; he wants to convince him that he wants to stay. This isn't about wanting more time with the guy; it's about wanting Cas to decide he enjoys spending time with him.

"Alright, glad that's settled," Ash says, sounding incredibly bored, "but moving on to more important things: Super Mario Bros. Who's playing?"

Dean shoots his hand up immediately. He's been in this situation before. There are only four Wii remotes, and it seems Ash has already claimed the first one. If he doesn't volunteer as soon as the opportunity presents itself, he won't get to play the first round, and it takes forever for people to give up their turn. He refuses to get stuck watching the game for the next two hours instead of playing.

He surveys the room. He'd assumed from Charlie's loud "Me!" that she'd be raising a hand so that one's no surprise. It seems just about everyone else wants to play, too: Jo, Jess, and Sam all have their hands raised as well. That makes six people for four remotes, so that's going to go well (not).

"I'm player one," Ash announces. "Charlie can be player two. The rest of you can duke it out."

"I want in!" Dean says, practically yelling to be heard over everyone else. "I had to sit out last time! I had to sit out, and I'm not sitting out again!"

"Dean, no one cares!" Jo says. "That was a year ago!"

"Yeah, dude, shove it," Sam says. "We're so past that!"

"I think I should get to play first," Jess says, "just because I'm the only one who hasn't yelled at Dean yet."

"I agree," Dean says. "I think anyone who hasn't yelled at me today should get to play first, so that means Jess and..." He pretends to think about that for a moment. "Oh, and me!"

"That's so not happening," Sam says immediately.

"That logic is such bull," Jo adds.

"I think I deserve to play because I got benched last year," Dean repeats. "For the sake of equality, I should get to play first. It's as simple as that."