Chapter Text
Anna Maria Island, Fl, one week ago
Ben Harris was sitting alone in his room at the Sunrise Hotel. It was a beautiful night and a warm breeze rolled through the open window, but Ben hardly noticed. He was staring at the floor by his feet, too stunned to do anything else. Sarah. The thought crossed his mind before he could stop it. The tears that had been brimming in his eyes finally spilled over. How could she do this? The only sounds that filled the room were Ben’s quiet sobs and the slight creaking of the floor by the window (it was an older hotel after all). He could practically feel his heart shattering into pieces. Sarah. Sarah. Sarah. Sarah. Ben’s head snapped up as he heard a much larger creaking sound about 3 feet away from him. A black cloaked figure loomed over him. Before Ben had the chance to scream or run, the figure descended on him.
Ten minutes later the room was empty; no Ben, no cloaked figure. All that remained was a small pile of dust on the bed, right where Ben had been sitting moments early. Another breeze gusted through the open window, scattering the small pile of dust throughout the room.
New Orleans, LA
Dean fumbles with the keys then opens the door to the motel room, holding the door open behind him for Cas to follow.
“Man, that hunt was a piece of cake!” Dean says as he makes his way into the room.
“Dean, the ghost threw you into a wall.” Cas replies, with his usual deadpan, but with just a hint of snark behind it.
“Yeah, that’s true, but I feel like that happens on pretty much every hunt. I’m just glad we didn’t have to dig up a grave. Thank you, New Orleans, for having above ground tombs!” Dean exclaims as he flops down into the chair by the small table in their room. He wonders how Sam was doing on his hunt. It was weird for him and Sam to be hunting separately, but while they were on their way to New Orleans, Sam found a possible case in Florida he wanted to check out. Since Cas was with them, Sam insisted that Dean and Cas could handle the hunt in New Orleans and Sam could go check out Florida. Dean didn’t think it was a case since it was only two disappearances with no bodies and no hint of anything supernatural, but Sam wanted to check it out. He probably just wanted to have a little Florida vacation, Dean thinks to himself as he pulls out his cell phone and dials Sam’s number. Cas sits down in the chair opposite him, so Dean turns it to speaker phone.
“Hey,” Sam answers.
“Hey, we just finished up the hunt here. It did turn out to be pretty easy, simple salt and burn. How’s your case going? Do you even think it’s a case?” Dean asks.
“Well, it’s definitely a case,” Sam sighs heavily over the phone. “I did some research, and it turns out, it’s not just the two recent disappearances. There were disappearances from this same hotel in 2000, 1985, 1968, and 1953. Every time, five people go missing in the span of about a month, then nothing for 15-20 years before the cycle starts up again.”
“Hmm, I guess that does sound like a case,” Dean replies. “Got any leads yet?”
“No, that’s the thing, besides the pattern of disappearances, there’s no physical evidence linking this case to the supernatural. In fact, there’s no evidence at all. In every single case, the person just disappears without a trace. No body is ever found, and no one hears from them again. They just vanish. No EMF, no sulfur smells, no cold spots, nothing. There is one thing that’s just… weird about this case, though. I don’t know how to describe it, but whenever I’m in this hotel, I feel like I’m being watched, even when I know I’m by myself. I can tell the other people in the hotel are picking up on it, too. It’s mostly just a feeling, but it is definitely… creepy. I’ve talked to a few staff members about it. They all say the feeling started about 2 weeks ago, which is right before the first disappearance. I think it means whatever this monster is, it’s constantly watching everything that happens in the hotel.”
“I haven’t heard of a monster like that,” Cas responds.
“Neither have I, but without any more evidence, I’m not sure I’ll be able to figure out what this thing is. And if the pattern holds, there will be three more disappearances before this thing goes dormant again.”
“Cas and I are done here, we can head over to you and help out,” Dean says.
“Thanks, I could definitely use the help. But, um, I’m not, um, sure if having more fake FBI here would help.” Dean pauses at that. Sam is being weird about this, which isn’t a good sign. He has a feeling that whatever Sam is about to suggest, he really isn’t going to like it.
“You mean you think we should go undercover?” Dean responds slowly, a little nervous about what Sam is about to suggest.
“Yeah, exactly!”
“So, you want us to stay at the hotel as guests to help draw the monster out?” Cas asks.
“Yes, but, um, there was one thing I didn’t mention earlier. A part of the monster’s MO.” Sam pauses, like he knew the conversation would eventually come here, but had been deliberately avoiding talking about this before. “All of the people who disappeared were part of a couple. Every disappearance dating back to 1953 follows this pattern.”
Dean stops breathing and stares blankly at the phone sitting on the table. And there it is, Dean thinks sardonically. He knew he wasn’t going to like whatever Sam was trying to say and he was right; he really doesn’t like this.
“Sam, what are you saying? You want me and Cas to, what, pretend to be a couple?” Dean replies incredulously after a tense silence. He doesn’t dare look directly at Cas as he says this, but he can tell that Cas froze in place as he said it.
“Look, Dean, I’m not sure how else we could go about solving this case.” Sam says, quickly launching into an explanation. “I’ve tried everything. There’s no physical evidence that could help point us in the right direction, no witnesses, no nothing. Plus, with whatever it is constantly watching everything going on in the hotel, I haven’t been able to investigate as thoroughly. We need someone on the inside, someone the monster will likely target. Trust me, Dean, if I could think of any other way to go about solving this case, I wouldn’t be asking this.”
Dean’s thoughts are swirling, desperately grasping at a way to counter what Sam is suggesting.
“Well, why do I have to be gay with Cas? Why can’t you do it?”
“Everyone at the hotel and almost certainly the monster has seen me as an FBI agent. It would be pretty weird to stop the investigation and check in as a guest.”
“Would the monster even, you know, go after a gay couple?” Dean asks, realizing his question is pretty pathetic. He’s already beginning to realize that Sam is right, but he’s not ready to give in just yet.
Sam pauses before answering, annoyed with Dean, and Dean could actually picture the exact Bitch Face Sam would be wearing right now. “Yes, last time, one of the disappearances was part of a same-sex couple.”
“Uh…” Dean isn’t sure what else he could say to this. He wracks his brain, trying to come up with some way to get out of this, but he’s coming up empty. Sam’s right, like he usually is (not that he would ever admit that to Sam’s face), but Dean doesn’t know how to respond now. He just knows he desperately doesn’t want to have to go through with this. Panic starts rising at the thought of pretending to be in a relationship with Cas, but Dean refuses to think too deeply about why he’s panicking about this. In fact, he pushes that thought aside completely, refusing to even consider it. He glances at Cas to find him still frozen in place. It seems like Cas also doesn’t want to be in a relationship with him. A pretend relationship, Dean immediately mentally corrects himself. He still feels a twinge of sadness at Cas’s reaction, even though it’s the exact same way he’s reacting. He definitely doesn’t want to think too hard about where that sad feeling came from. Cas then looks up to meet Deans eyes, but they both look away hastily.
“Guys, come on, I really need your help on this one. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think it was necessary. If we can’t figure this out, three more people will disappear this time, and then the monster will go dormant, so we won’t be able to stop it before it starts again in 15 years.”
Dean can feel his resolve crumbling. It’s truly amazing that, even over a hundred miles away, Sam’s puppy dog eyes are able to win him over, and he can’t even see Sam’s eyes. But really, he knows Sam’s right. He looks up at Cas again and Cas’s eyes lock with his. A look of understanding passes between them and Cas nods slightly.
Dean sighs deeply and runs a hand over his face. “Fine, we’ll do it.”
Dean can hear the sigh of relief Sam breathes out over the phone. “Thanks guys.”
“Yeah, well, you owe us, big time.” Dean grumbles in response.
“Think on the bright side, for this whole hunt, you get to pretend to be on vacation at a beachside hotel! You gotta admit, that’s nicer digs than we usually get on hunts.” Sam adds, trying to cheer up Dean’s mood.
Dean did like the sound of spending time on the beach. He doesn’t usually get the chance to since their lives are one crisis after another. Maybe he’ll actually enjoy this hunt. But then he looks up at Cas and it really dawns on him what they’re about to do. He stifles that thought quickly.
“We’ll leave first thing tomorrow, so should be there by dinner tomorrow night. See you then. Bitch.”
“Jerk.”
Dean hangs up the phone then looks at Cas, who looks very nervous. Over the years, Dean’s faced down all sorts of terrifying enemies by Cas’s side, but right now, he looks exactly like he did that time he took Cas to the brothel. Some things never change. Dean laughs to himself as he gets up from the chair.
“Alright, we’re leaving bright and early tomorrow morning, so I should probably get some shut eye,” Dean says to Cas, trying very hard to be casual, but not meeting Cas’s eyes.