Dean stood in the dank hotel room, watching as Bray gathered his things. Normally Bray jumped at the chance to have Dean on his own. Especially when Dean came to him. This time though was different. Bray hadn't been happy to see him. He hadn't welcomed him with open arms. Instead, Dean had been met with an icy glare when the door had opened and now he was being met with an equally icy silence as Bray focused on packing his things.
"I didn't come here to be ignored." Bray paused, but only for a second. "I get it. You're pissed about tonight." Dean shrugged, bringing his hand to rub his chin. "I'll admit it, Roman and I were being assholes, but it was all for the show." Dean didn't see Bray's reaction to his poor excuse of an apology. If he had then he would have considered leaving then and there. But he hadn't, so he continued on; completely oblivious to Bray's outright anger. "It was all for the crowds man. You know I get you. Sure Roman doesn't, but I do. Isn't that what matters?" What had mattered was Bray's love for Dean. More importantly that Dean returned the feelings that Bray had so freely given to him. Unfortunately that hadn't happened. All Dean had given back to Bray were the ashes of his now broken heart. "Bray? Come on man, don't be all silent like this. I know you're upset but..."
"Is that what you came out here to tell me? Was that you get me?" Dean winced at Bray's cutting tone. He wasn't making it any easier for Dean to admit his real reason for coming here. "I supposed I'm to take those words as comforting?" Dean didn't have an answer for that. "If that's all you wanted then you're free to leave whenever you'd like. I certainly wouldn't want to keep you from that fine specimen of a man you've latched on to." Dean just rolled his eyes at that remark. He got Bray didn't like Roman. He just didn't understand Bray's need to be so caustic about it.
"You're not keeping me. I came on my own remember?" Bray didn't respond. "He doesn't know where I am. He probably thinks I'm out drinking or at a titty bar or some shit like that." Again Bray didn't respond. He just kept rustling around in the drawer, methodically packing his things. "Are you just going to fucking ignore me while you pack? I came to see you. I came to talk to you. So how about you turn the fuck around and talk to me."
Bray obliged him by half way turning away from his bag. His glare wasn't any less icy than it had been earlier, if anything it had gotten colder, harsher even. If Dean didn't know any better he would have sworn that it had frozen him where he stood.
"If you have something to say, I suggest you say it. I'm in no mood for your games...or your mouth. I have things I need to see to before I go." Again Dean flinched at his tone, but he quickly recovered, seizing the opportunity to change the subject.
"That's what I'm here for. There's a rumor going around that you're leaving. Is it true?" Bray blinked, easily turning back to his bag.
"Would you be concerned if I actually was? I imagine you and your brute would be quite over joyed at the prospect of me being gone." Roman certainly would be. Dean on the other hand wasn't.
"I'm here aren't I?" That made Bray stop. "Look just tell me it isn't true. You're just going home for the week right? You'll be back...won't you?" The idea of Bray being gone unnerved him. It scared him. He briefly detected the sound of that fear in his voice.
"The family needs me." Dean needed him, but he would never admit it out loud. "It's time to draw a curtain on this whole ugly charade." Dean couldn't hide his horrified expression. He didn't want to try. It was true; Bray was leaving.
"But...but you can't fucking leave!" Dean stormed over, slamming Bray's suitcase shut so he would be forced to stop packing. Bray gave him an irritated look, tossing the socks that had been in his hand back into the drawer. "Is this about tonight? Dude we were KIDDING! You can't leave over a fucking joke!"
"Can't I?" The fury in Bray's voice made Dean take a step back. "As far as I'm concerned the entire thing has be one cruel joke." Bray stepped away from the bag, slowly advancing on Dean, forcing the smaller man to back up. "I offered this place a new way and they ALL refused it." Dean's legs hit the edge of the bed, giving way. He fell ass first onto it, watching as Bray angrily advanced towards him. "I am tired of dealing with narcissistic fools that I am forced to answer to. I am tired of preaching to simpletons who refuse to listen." Bray just stopped shy of the bed, glaring down at Dean. "I am tired of being made a fool of...by you." Dean shook his head no. "Really? I offered you love. I offered you salvation! But you refused." Bray's voice got deadly quiet. "You want to throw your lot in with them...with him, then go ahead." Dean blinked unsure of where this was going. "I would have burned this world for you. I would have ripped that title from Seth's dead hands and handed it to you on a silver platter. But you said no." Bray offered him an odd little smirk as he stepped away from the bed. "So now I say no more." Dean sat up staring at Bray's back. He didn't know how to process all of that. Sure he had heard it all before, but today it was worse. Today it hurt more. Today it dawned on him that Bray's love had been real.
The suitcase was flipped open, distracting Dean from his thoughts. He sat there watching the last of Bray's things go inside of it. Then it was closed, without any flourish or thought.
"Bray please..." He sounded desperate. "What about your cause?" Dean felt his voice get stronger at that statement. "What about her cause? You can't just abandon it." Dean got up off the bed, walking back over to him. "What's she going to say when you come home empty handed?"
"She says there's another way." That took all the wind out of Dean's sails. He stood there aghast, watching as the suitcase was moved towards the door. What made it worse was Bray's apathy over the whole situation. The man that promised him he would never leave was now doing just that. He was fixed on going back to his swamp without a second thought. He'd lost Regal, then Seth and now Bray. That made something snap in Dean. He had let everyone else leave. He had watched them all walk away without doing anything to make them stay. He wasn't about to let that happen with Bray.
Growling, Dean charged Bray, slamming him back first into the closest wall. The very impact of their bodies colliding against the drywall shook the room. Dean's fingers wound their way into the fabric of Bray's shirt, forming what he felt was an unbreakable grip on it.
"You can't do this. You can't fucking leave me." Dean raised himself up, staring Bray in the eye. "You promised ..." Before he could continue the door to the room was thrown open, slamming against the wall with a solid thwack. Dean turned coming eye to eye with Harper and the others. He'd honestly forgotten about them being anywhere nearby, let alone in the next room. "I ain't here to hurt him." Dean looked back at Bray. "Call them off."
"Or you'll do what?" Harper started to move, but Bray held his hand up stopping him.
"Its true, I promised you I would never leave you. But that's when you were mine. That's before you made me look like a fool. You left me remember? Why should I stay for someone who is content to be nothing more than Roman's stepping stone to immortality?" Dean didn't see it, but Harper smirked at Bray's response. They all stood there, watching as Dean's fervor slowly crumpled around him.
"You don't mean that." Bray smirked at him. "You can't mean that. You're just saying that cause your mad at me, cause you hate him!" Dean tightened his grip on Bray, desperate to hold onto him.
"Truth's a bitch to hear isn't it?" Dean turned, glaring at Harper. Bray's hands came up, easily wrapping around Dean's drawing his attention back to him.
"I will admit that he and I both see the same thing in you. We both see what you could be. The only difference between him and I is that I would raise you to the heavens, while he seems fit to keep you on your knees." Bray easily untwisted Dean's fingers from the fabric of his shirt. "You've made your bed." Dean shook his head.
"No. Don't do this to me Bray. Don't leave me."
"You preferred his to mine..." Dean tightened his fingers around Bray.
"I won't let you leave. Not like this. Just tell me what I have to do to get you stay. I promise you I'll do it." Bray got one of his hands free, running it over Dean's face.
"Anything you say?" Dean nodded, feeling Bray run the pad of his thumb over his cheek.
"Anything." Bray smirked, leaning in, giving Dean a kiss on his forehead.
"Go lie in it." Dean's eyes popped open in shock. He briefly felt Bray pull away before Harper and the boys descended on him. Harper easily got hold of Dean, dragging him back away from Bray.
"No...BRAY!" Dean clawed at Harper, reaching for Bray with everything he had. "CALL THEM OFF! Rowan grabbed hold of his legs, stilling them so he couldn't use them as leverage. "BRAY...PLEASE!" Strowman came around Erick & Luke, quickly glancing at Bray before he brought his fist down across Dean's jaw. They all watched him go limp, the room finally falling silent. The boys all looked at Bray, waiting for his guidance.
Bray stood there staring at Dean, completely conflicted on what to do. Every fiber of his being wanted to keep him. God wouldn't be something to take Dean back to the compound, to make him own up to saying he would do anything to get Bray to stay. Wouldn't the look on Roman's face be absolutely glorious when Dean followed Bray's order to finally end it once and for all. Thanks to this one moment he could he finally have what he wanted where Dean was concerned. There was just one problem. "It won't be real." And he wanted it to be real. He couldn't accept Dean if Roman was still in the picture. Quickly Bray ran his hand over his face, clearing the hair that had fallen in his eyes out of the way. "Put him in the car. We'll drop him off at the Gentleman's club we saw on our way out of town." They didn't need to be told twice. "I'll be along in a few." Bray glanced down at his shirt, seeing it all stretched and slightly torn from where Dean had hold of it. "I just need to change my shirt."