Dean leaned up against the Impala, staring up at the apartment building, lost in thought. He had sent a message to Tony, who was still at work.
"He said he'd be here soon, right?" Sam asked, getting out of the car also.
"Yeah." Dean said distractedly. Sam frowned at his brother. Dean had been acting a little strange since he'd gotten that call.
"You want me to go find a motel while you wait?"
"Sure." Dean handed over the keys. Sam raised an eyebrow but said nothing before he got into the car. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the key that Tony had given him the first time he had come here.
"What do you think?" Tony led him into the apartment. The place was already set up. Dean shook his head. "I still can't believe that you're a federal agent." Tony grinned at him and shoved him down on the couch. "It's great, isn't it?" Dean raised an eyebrow as Tony sat himself down in Dean's lap. "You do realize that you're shacking up with a criminal, right?" Tony leaned back a little and shrugged. "Well, as long as you don't go killing any navy officers I think I can live with it."
Dean made it into Tony's apartment and grinned. The place really hadn't changed except for the fact that it was a little messier and there were more decorations, some of which he was sure Tony hadn't gotten himself.
He was kind of glad that Sam wouldn't be there when Tony first got home. He still hadn't told Sam. He figured that Sam would figure it out if he already hadn't.
It wasn't that he was sleeping with a man that had him keeping this from his family. It was a pretty simple reason that his dad didn't know. Tony had been a cop and now he was a NCIS agent. He really didn't need that fight with his dad.
As for Sam...he just knew that Sam would question him about everything. Mostly about why he kept coming back here...why Tony was different from the numerous one night stands he'd had over the years.
---------------
Tony could admit, at least to himself, that maybe he was little bit nervous. Dean's message had made sure of that. A voice message that said he and Sam were waiting at his apartment.
He knew who Sam was. It had taken him a little while for that. Sam had always sort of been a taboo subject with Dean. He knew that Sam had gone off to college as soon as he'd turned eighteen. He knew that Dean, John and Sam's relationship was...strained because of it.
He rarely gotten much out of Dean about it. Dean wasn't really one to talk about things like that. He remembered clearly one of the few times that Dean had talked about it. Dean had shown up at his apartment almost two years ago. He'd been banged up and uncharacteristically depressed. It had been the first time he'd seen Dean in a couple of months, not since he'd first moved in to the place when he'd first got the job at NCIS.
"Hey." Dean grinned at him, leaning on Tony's doorframe. "Hey." Tony frowned at him. "Miss me?" Tony's frown turned into a glare and he crossed his arms. "I've been trying to call you." He said. He'd gotten a rather incoherent message from Dean a couple of days before that had him a little bit concerned. When he couldn't get a hold of Dean, he'd started to get scared that something had happened. "Huh? Oh, yeah. My phone sorta broke." Tony raised an eyebrow. The anger didn't leave. "Really, how?" "Probably when I threw it against the wall. Are you gonna let me in?" Tony hesitated for a moment before stepping aside. Dean ambled in past him and dropped down on his sofa. "You could've called me from another phone." Tony said, standing in front of him. "Sorry." Dean mumbled, laying his head back against the couch. Tony noticed for the first time the healing cut on Dean's head. Dean shifted a little, bringing an arm up around his chest. "You're hurt?" He sat down on the table in front of him, leaning forward, some of his anger leaving. "Just bruised a little bit. Nothin' new really." "And you drove all the way here..." Dean rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, dude. Don't even got a concussion." When he met Tony's eyes, there was something there that had any leftover anger he'd been feeling melt. "You got anything to drink?" ------------- Two hours later and Dean was stretched out on Tony's couch, head in Tony's lap while a movie played. Maybe he didn't have a concussion but he was certainly buzzed if not completely drunk. Something was seriously wrong because Dean hadn't tried anything with him yet. This thought was only confirmed when Dean looked up at with a frown on his face. "Are you gonna stop answerin' the phone?" "What?" Dean's frown deepened. "You know when you figure you'll want a more normal life...boyfriend...or girlfriend, whatever." Tony frowned as well. "What are you talking about?" Dean sighed and turned back to the movie. "Nothin'. Never mind." Tony stared down at him. It didn't take him too long to figure it out. He'd known Dean for less than a year but he was pretty sure that there were only two things that could make him act this way. This wasn't about him, this was about his family. He didn't voice the question. He didn't really need to. This couldn't be about John. Tony doubted that man would allow Dean to go to far without him so it had to be about Sam. Instead of asking the question, he thought about Dean's. He'd never met anyone like Dean before. Even if you discounted the hunting, Dean was definitely unique. Even though Tony knew that they wouldn't be able to see each other often, he also didn't think he could ever stop feeling the way he did. "No, I don't think I will." He said after a moment. Dean gave a small smile, already half asleep. -----------------
Tony worried over the reason that Sam had come with Dean as he made his way up to his apartment. Dean hadn't really had contact with Sam since before that night he'd shown up at Tony's and he wondered what could have happened that had Sam out on the road again with Dean.
He barely had time to close the door to his apartment when someone was pressing him against it. Even though he was expecting it, he had given over a spare key after all, he still tensed at first.
"Miss me?" Dean asked with a grin, bracing his hands on Tony's waist. Tony grinned back at him after a moment.
"Maybe I shouldn't have given you that key after all."
"Worried I might trash the place?" Tony snorted and hooked a finger in Dean's belt, pulling him closer. He kissed Dean briefly.
"You're here alone." Dean raised an eyebrow, looking around for a moment.
"Yeah." He leaned in again. Tony let the kiss last a minute before he pushed Dean back again.
"And your brother. Where is he?"
"Not here." Dean said simply.
"And why is he here? I thought you said he was at Stanford?" Dean let out a small sigh.
"Change of plans."
"Forced?" Dean shrugged but a dark look crossed over his eyes.
"What other kind is there in my family?" He dropped his hands from Tony's waist.
"I haven't seen you in a few months. We just gonna talk?" Tony grinned at him and rolled his eyes before he pushed Dean back towards the couch. Dean let himself fall back over it and Tony crawled on top of him. He was kissing Dean, just reaching for his shirt when his phone rang. Tony sighed, resting his head against Dean's chest before reaching for his phone.
--------------------
Sam pulled up in front of the apartment building. Dean was still standing outside. He walked over and got in the car.
"Your friend never made it?"
"He got called out on a case. Apparently it's another one of ours."
"Are we going to the scene?" Sam asked, glancing at his brother who was looking worried.
"Not yet. Tony said he'd call after his people left. Don't want to get caught there by Tony's boss. The guy already hates me."
"So, we're waiting?" Dean scoffed and reached into the backseat to snag the paper that Sam had picked up.
"How about the first crime scene?" Sam glanced at him.
"What about your friend?" Dean shrugged.
"I'd rather that he didn't go after something he doesn't know how to fight."
"Right." Sam paused a moment. "So, why doesn't his boss like you?"
--------------------
"Looks like we're going down."
"Yeah? Hey, what's up?" Sam watched his brother closely. "Same thing?" He listened to Dean's side of the conversation with a small frown.
He'd never known Dean to make lasting friendships. It was a hard thing to do with their job. Dean had driven even crazier than usual to get here and Sam had seen the look in his eyes when he'd first got that call.
"Dude, no way. I got this...because it's what I do and if you remember what happened with that spirit in Baltimore...that's different!...do you have any idea how many times I've been thrown into the nearest wall...you see, that right there? Doesn't make me feel better, Tony. Add your luck and this thing will probably come after you next..."
Sam smiled. Dean sounded so...overprotective. He knew that tone of voice. He'd only ever seen Dean get this way over himself and their dad. Sam raised an eyebrow when Dean finally hung up.
"Well?"
"He's an idiot." Sam grinned and shook his head.
"I meant the case that he got called out on. Is it the same thing?"
"Oh. Right, yeah. So, guy claims that he was driving home from work when his wife was attacked."
"So, he was two places at once."
"Exactly. Then he sees himself in the house, police think he's a nutjob."
"She was in the navy?" Dean nodded, a worried frown on his face. "You don't think it's random, do you?" Dean shrugged.
"I don't know. I mean killing someone in the navy would ensure that NCIS would be called out and we're, or at least I am, connected to somebody there." Sam nodded, and he saw it again, in Dean's eyes. Sam had the thought that if Dean was right and this thing went after Tony it would be sorry. Sam fell in step beside Dean.
"So, when were you going to tell me you had a boyfriend?" He couldn't help but laugh when Dean stumbled and nearly fell at the question.
