"Sooo… Fergus McLeod!"

They were walking down a street together, Dean had just bought Gabriel a sandwich and now they were going to see the next name on the list. Dean wasn't hungry, though. He was a bit anxious about meeting this one. He hoped he wouldn't get any nasty surprise, like the one he got a few days ago. But Gabriel had insisted they go out and had asked for lunch (because you apparently didn't get any money from just 'living', so Dean had to pay for everything), and here they were.

"Who?"

Dean didn't remember dating anyone called 'Fergus'. He would have noticed, surely. Gabriel rolled his eyes at him.

"Crowley!"

"Crowley's name is Fergus?" He couldn't believe that.

"Yeah, well, 'Crowley' is a nickname. Do you ever ask questions to people you date?"

It was rich coming from Gabriel. Dean sneered. "Because you do?"

"I don't do dates, remember? But sometimes yes, I do. I'm not a monster."

Dean just laughed at that. Suddenly, they stopped in front of a huge, beautiful old house and Gabriel just pointed at it. "This is it! He should be here, doing some visits I guess… That's what realtors do, right?"

Dean nodded. "I guess… How did you know we'd find him here?"

Gabriel looked away. "You probably don't wanna know…"

"Okay…"

They had agreed to come see the house and pretend they wanted to buy it, so that they could approach Crowley with a good excuse. Dean wasn't sure how it was going to go, but it was the only plan they had so far. The only problem was that Gabriel had insisted they stop at that 'awesome music store' near the sandwich shop, ("You're going to love it, Dean, I swear, just a little detour!")and now it was already late in the afternoon. There was no guarantee anybody was still in there…

He gave a look at the house and his heart skipped a beat. Why was he so nervous? He knew he couldn't forget something like what happened with Meg twice, so really, what did he have to fear? From what he remembered, being with Crowley had been nice. Dean had only bailed on the guy because of one little lie he had told that was beginning to be problematic at the time, but now, years after, Crowley wouldn't remember. Or so Dean hoped.

He let out a huge breathe. Gabriel looked at him, a fond smile on his face.

"Aaaw, Dean, don't be scared!" He said, patting Dean on the back. "I promise I didn't hide anything from you this time. I'm pretty sure I know everything about that guy, no nasty surprise, I swear."

Dean glanced at him, anxious.

"Okay, maybe I hid one little thing..." Dean's heart jumped again. "No, no!" Gabriel added. "Don't look at me like that, it's nothing bad. It's just…"

Dean could see he was trying to hide a laugh. "What?!" He asked, louder than he intended. He felt himself starting to panic.

"It's just… I don't know, Dean, I don't wanna ruin everything for you but…"

"Gabe, I swear to god, tell me what it is, I feel like I'm going to explode here!"

Gabriel started to laugh, apparently unable to control himself. "It's… okay, well. Are you ready for this?"

Dean nodded, a furious look on his face. "Go on before I strangle you."

"Okay, okay… The people who work with him… His colleagues… They call him…" He laughed again.

"Gabe…"

"Lucky the Leprechaun!" Gabriel blurted out.

Dean glared at him. "Is that it?"

He turned his back on Gabriel, feeling that if he looked at him a while longer he was probably going to punch him in the face. "It's because he's Irish, do you get it?" He heard coming from behind him. That guy was such a child sometimes…

"He's not Iri- It's not funny!" Dean said, gritting his teeth. He closed his eyes and tried to focus again. Sometimes he really forgot why he did all this. He needed to remember what was at stake here! And why couldn't Gabriel behave like an adult? Dean felt so pissed at him he wouldn't have been surprised if smoke started coming out of his nostrils in the next few seconds.

Gabriel was still laughing, but he suddenly stopped and elbowed Dean in the ribs.

"Ow! What the…"

"He's here, Dean!"

Dean truly felt his Heart stop this time. He turned around as quick as he could, all trace of anger gone. Crowley was getting out of the house with a young couple. The guy shook Crowley's hand, a huge smile on his face. Crowley was smiling too but it rather looked like he was about to eat them both. The couple seemed to thank Crowley one last time and they went away, disappearing into a Pastry shop not far away.

He was still as hot as Dean remembered, in his own, weird, British way. He wasn't sure Crowley was good wedding material, but Dean could at least get something good out of this if it didn't work out…

Gabriel pushed Dean and they started to walk in Crowley's direction, looking at the house as if they were interested in buying it. Gabriel even had a flyer describing the open House procedure in his hand, God only knew where he found it. When they were only a couple of feet away, Crowley noticed them. Or at least he noticed Dean. He smiled, surprised.

"Well, well, well… Isn't that Dean Winchester…" He said, a playful tone to his voice.

Dean felt Gabriel's hand punching his back.

"Uh… Crowley! Well… That's… That's a surprise!"

Gabriel sighed. Dean ignored him.

"Hum… This is my…Uh… My… Cousin, Gabriel!"

"Hi." Crowley just said, eyeing Gabriel from head to toe.

"Hey!" Gabriel said. He had the kind of smile that meant he was laughing at Dean and enjoying it very much.

"So, what brings you here, Dean?" Crowley asked.

At least he seemed happy to see him, Dean thought. That was a good point. Then he remembered he had to say something. 'Stick to the plan' Gabriel had said… The plan… Dean started to panic. He didn't think he would actually have to find an excuse for being here in the first place! They was no other plan than to go inside the house and pretend they found it pretty. They hadn't planned running into Crowley outside of it! Shit!

"Oh, hum… I'm looking for… for a house. For my brother! Yeah… He's getting married so…"

"And he sent you to find him and his fiancée a house?"

Gabriel was unable to contain the laugh that escaped his mouth. "Yeah, they have that awkwardly co-dependent relationship…" He just said to justify himself.

What was he doing? Dean gave him a mean look and turned to Crowley again.

"Anyway, Gabriel was about to leave and hum… well it's a bit late for a visit of the house I guess, but… I have some free time right now… Maybe we can… grab a drink or…"

Crowley's smile widened. He probably wasn't buying the 'I came to buy a house' thing, but he didn't seem to mind. Dean felt the panic slowly disappear.

"Sure… Why not? "

Dean smiled. It worked. This one couldn't fail, really. He and Crowley stared in each other's eyes for a while, until Dean realized Gabriel was still here, a dumb smile on his face.

"Gabe… Don't you need to go?" Dean asked, trying to subtly make him go away.

"No." Gabriel said, still smiling.

"Really? I'm pretty sure you're going to be late for your… thing."

"My thing?"

"Your thing yes. You know…" Dean tried to make his message clear. But it's was hard with only a look.

Gabriel smiled even more, it seemed, but he finally moved. "Oh yeah, I just remembered, sorry! I'll leave you two alone now… Have fun!"

Dean kept his eyes on him until he was sure he wasn't coming back. When it seemed that Gabriel was gone for good, he gave Crowley his brightest, flirtiest smile.

"So, drink?"

#

"… And I fell asleep on her, oh my god!" Dean laughed. "Wow… Yeah I remember now… I'm sorry about that!" He added sheepishly, taking a sip of his drink.

Crowley laughed as he put his own drink on the table. "It's okay, we were both fairly drunk that night…"

Dean smiled. "Yeah…"

They were sitting in a little pub that Crowley was apparently fond of, and they had been discussing their time together for a little over two hours now. Dean felt good. He had had a couple of drinks already, and he could feel the gentle buzz of the alcohol running through him. Everything was going great.

"So…" Crowley said, leaning into Dean's space. "It's getting dark outside… Maybe you'd like to come to my place?"

He put his hand on Dean's knee. Dean laughed. Yeah, it was more than great.

"Sure…" He whispered his throat suddenly dry with anticipation.

He emptied his drink and got up. Crowley smiled wider. "You don't mind walking, do you?" He asked Dean as he slipped his jacket back on.

"No, not at all…"

They didn't talk as they were walking to reach Crowley's apartment, but it didn't bother Dean. His mind was full of all the things that could happen once they'd get there. He could feel a nice little ball of warmth gathering in his stomach. It wasn't fear, it was excitement. He just couldn't wait. After the last few days, he was finally going to succeed. He felt awesome.

It didn't last as long as Dean would have thought, and less than fifteen minutes later they were in front of the door. Crowley got the keys out of his pocket and started opening it. He suddenly stopped and turned to look at Dean, a cheeky smile on his face.

"So, Dean… Do you still dance?"

Dean blinked at him. What? Dance? Why would he- And then he remembered. Yes, the lie. So Crowley had to bring that back, uh? It all came from the day they first met. Dean was sitting at a bar when Crowley had come and offered him a drink. They had started to chat, and Crowley told him all about his job, and how he was tired of all the office shit he had to deal with on a daily basis. Dean had had a little too much to drink that night, and, wanting too much to get into Crowley's pants to let the opportunity pass, he had panicked and lied when Crowley suddenly asked him what he was doing for a living. Not wanting to tell him he was working an office job and risking to see Crowley go away, he had told him he was an exotic dancer. It proved to be half a good idea at the time, since Crowley got even more interested in Dean, and Dean quickly found himself making up a load of bullshit regarding the circumstances of his work. So, yeah, Crowley thought he was an expert in pole dancing. Well… There was no harm in perpetuating this little lie, right? It wasn't like they were close to a pole anyway. At worse, Crowley would ask for a sexy dance or something, and Dean thought he was at least capable of that.

"Uh, yeah…" He answered with what he hoped looked like a self-assured smile.

"Good… Then I have a little surprise for you…" Crowley said as he opened the door.

Dean followed him inside, suddenly scared. A surprise? He didn't like surprises. He hated them. What was going to happen this time?

It was really dark inside the apartment, but Crowley grabbed his hand and guided him toward what seemed to be the living room. He then let go of Dean, threw his jacket on the couch and headed for something in front of them. Dean couldn't see what was happening. He hoped it wasn't going to ruin the night. He heard the distinctive sound of a light switch being pushed and everything lit up in front of him. It was so sudden he closed his eyes for a second. What he saw when he opened them was certainly not something he was expecting tonight.

There was an actual mini-stage in the middle of the living room, only lit by red neon lights. In the middle of it stood a transparent dance pole that shone red and blue. It seemed to be made of glass.

Dean lost the ability to speak or even think for a second.

"What do you think?" Crowley asked as he got close to Dean.

Dean just stared at the pole. He was in deep shit. "It's… uh…" He cleared his throat. "It's nice."

Crowley got closer and grabbed him by the hips. "How about you give me a private show tonight, boy?" He whispered, his mouth on Dean's neck.

Dean tried to smile, or laugh, or both. A whine escaped his lips. "I uh…" He could feel Crowley getting hard already.

Well, Dean still wanted to get into the guy's pants as bad as he did a few years ago so… It was probably worth a few minutes of awkward pole dancing for a whole night of fun, right?

"It'll be my pleasure" He answered against Crowley's mouth.

If strippers could do it, Dean surely could too, he told himself. He had seen some shows in the past, so he kind of knew the basics. He kissed Crowley and pushed him on the couch, feeling suddenly bold. He was rewarded by the most lustful smile he ever saw, and quickly got to the pole. Not knowing what to do, he slowly caressed the thing while trying to come up with something. He still had a lot of clothes on, didn't he? He took his shirt off, trying to look as hot as possible. He threw it in Crowley's direction and grabbed the pole again. So… Now… Maybe grinding against it would work? He tried it and Crowley's hungry smile grew bigger. Yes, it was good… Well… It felt a little bit empty though, something was missing…

"It would help with some music on…" He said, keeping his sexy grin on.

Crowley laughed. "Sure." He grabbed a remote controller that sat on the coffee table in front of him and pressed a button. Some smooth jazz song came on. He settled back on the couch.

"Please, go on."

Dean smiled, but he was starting to feel really bad. He needed to put on a great show or else Crowley would know something was off. If he learnt Dean had lied now, they wouldn't be any fun later.

He let himself slide on the pole until he was crouching in front of it, his knees far apart each other and his crotch painfully pressed against the glass. Then, having nothing better to do, he slid upward.

He felt ridiculous. But…

It was now or never. He had to do something impressive. He lifted a little weight from time to time, there was no reason he couldn't lift himself. He turned around the pole once, twice, holding it with both his hands, and then jumped, trying to lift his legs above his head and grabbing the bar with his feet.

It was a huge mistake.

One of his hands slipped from the pole, he fell and hit his head on the floor. He couldn't see anything anymore. White stars were dancing behind his eyelids and he felt like his head was about to explode.

"Are you okay?!" He heard Crowley ask, a note of panic in his voice. But it felt like all the noises were coming from so far away…

The music stopped and he felt hands helping him sit. He opened his eyes.

"Uh… I… I think so I… Oh god…"

His stomach made a weird noise and he leaned forward, trying to keep the drinks he had earlier inside his body.

"Hm… I think you need to get to the hospital…" Crowley said, his voice barely audible.

Dean felt his cheeks get hot. Everything was ruined now. It was the most embarrassing moment of his life, for sure. Crowley helped him get on his feet, and checked his head for injuries.

"You're not bleeding."

"Uh… Okay…" Dean mumbled, avoiding eye contact. "I… uh… I'm gonna g-"

His stomach interrupted him with a loud rumbling noise and before he could even realize what was happening he was throwing up on Crowley's shoes.

He suddenly felt his cheeks get hotter if it was even possible, and his vision blurred. He felt like he was being burnt alive. It was the most humiliating thing that ever happened to him. He didn't know how to react. Seconds felt like hours, noises sounded weird, oddly distant, as if he was underwater, everything felt surreal. He suddenly felt so nervous he wasn't sure if he was going to burst out crying or laughing. Gabriel would really enjoy himself if he was here. He would laugh so hard. Dean wasn't sure he wanted anybody to know what was happening right now. He didn't know what to do. He had to leave…

"I'm so, so sorry… I…"

Oh yes, Gabriel would laugh. Just like this afternoon. Just like when he told Dean people called Crowley 'Lucky the Leprechaun'. And as if it couldn't possibly get worse, Dean started laughing at the thought. Really, it was a funny name! He got it now. Or maybe it was the nerves?

"Get out…" Crowley almost growled.

Dean didn't need to be told twice, and he ran all the way to his apartment.

#

"Oh my god somebody help me I can't breathe!" Gabriel uttered between laughs.

They were both waiting in the ER of the closest hospital they could find, and Dean had just told Gabriel the whole story. When he first got to the apartment he had refused to tell him anything beside the fact that he had hurt his head. Gabriel wouldn't leave him alone though, wanting to know everything about the night, but he had quickly realized he needed to take Dean to the hospital when Dean emptied his stomach three times in less than thirty minutes.

So, now that they were here and that the nurse taking care of the waiting room had given him something to settle his stomach, he figured it would at least pass the time to tell Gabriel about it.

"Shut up…" Dean tried to sound angry but he just felt drained and his head ached.

"Oh, Dean…" Gabriel said, still shaking with silent laughter. "Come here!"

He grabbed Dean's arms and pulled him into a hug. Dean felt his eyes getting wet. What the fuck was happening? "Okay, let me go now or I'm gonna cry…"

Gabriel let go of him but still kept close. His shoulder was brushing Dean's, but it felt more reassuring than awkward, really. Dean liked it. He let his head fall on Gabriel's shoulder.

"I feel weird…"

"You know what the nurse said, it's probably a concussion. It's fine. Just don't fall asleep."

"Do you really think I can sleep after what happened?" Dean answered as he closed his eyes.

Gabriel started laughing again. "Don't remind me."

"I knew you would make fun of me…"

"Is that surprising? It's like you're doing things on purpose to entertain me." Dean felt Gabriel's hand run through his hair. "You're the funniest person I've ever met, and you're not even trying that hard…"

There was a moment of silence between the two of them, the only noises Dean could hear were the nurses chatting happily in the little cubicle behind him, and some whispers coming from the other patients in front of them. Gabriel kept touching his hair. And despite all of what had happened tonight, it felt perfect. It felt like this moment should never end, that it was just how people should interact with each other all the time. He wondered why he never found a friend like Gabriel before. He felt so happy right now…

"Dean Winchester?" A male voice called.

Gabriel elbowed him gently and he opened his eyes, straightening up. A middle-aged blond guy in a white coat was looking at him, smiling. "M. Winchester?" Dean nodded. "I'm Doctor Cole. Will you come with me please?"

#

Fifteen hours later, they were back on Dean's couch. The doctor had insisted they kept him for the night, as a precaution. And, of course, Gabriel had insisted he stayed with Dean just to be sure everything was fine. Dean slept a little, but it hadn't been a peaceful sleep. Gabriel had slept on an uncomfortable chair by Dean's bed, in the middle of the ER room, meaning he didn't get much rest either. The little curtain that shielded them from view didn't help keeping away the cries of the sick baby in the bed next to Dean's.

So, after a crappy night like this one, it felt good to just sit there, slouching against each other. Dean just wanted to sleep, or maybe take a bath.

"I don't know what to do…" He mumbled aloud.

"Shut your mouth and close your eyes…" Gabriel answered.

"Okay…"

A few minutes passed. Dean's back started to hurt. He slowly slid on his side until his head hit a pillow. Better…

"Gimme some space…" He heard Gabriel whisper. He felt him settle behind his back. It would have been anyone else, it would have felt awkward. But as with everything when it came to Gabriel, it didn't, and it was awesome.

He felt Gabriel's arm land gently on his stomach. He was warm and contented, and, most importantly, so comfortable it felt like he was sleeping in the arms of an angel, but something was keeping him awake. He was so ashamed of what had happen with Crowley… He would probably never be able to forget it… He sighed.

"What now?" Gabriel asked, squeezing his stomach. "Can't you sleep already?"

"No…"

It was Gabriel's turn to sigh. "Is it because of Crowley?"

Dean made an affirmative noise. "ah, come on now…" Gabriel whispered. He lifted his hand from Dean's stomach and started playing with his hair again. "Just sleep, we'll cross his name off the list tomorrow, and you'll forget about him…"

"I don't see how I can forget something like that…" Dean felt Gabriel holding a laugh behind him. He decided it was best to change the subject. "And why are you the big spoon? You're smaller than me… I feel like a gir-"

"Shut up Dean."

"… Fine."

"Good night."

" 'Night…"

Dean fell asleep right away.