Chapter Three: I Guess We're Friends

A/N: Includes some Shield bonding time, Ambrollins friendship fluff-ishness, and dinner at the Lopez household.

The final bell rang on Friday, signaling the start of the weekend. Sports tryouts started in two weeks as did class reshuffling. Seth and Dean walked out after everyone else, walking home together. Dean stared at him. "Why are you following me?"

"My dad works late on Fridays, so he can't pick me up. I have to walk home without getting lost…" His voice was full of uncertainty and he looked like a lost puppy who'd run away from home. Dean smirked at him. 'Colby's nervous expression is kinda cute.' Wait, what?

"Don't tell me you don't know how to get back to your place from here?" Dean asked, ignoring the strange thought his head had just conjured. The younger boy looked away in shame. Dean shook his head. "It's a right, a left, and the second right, alright? Couple minutes walk. Easy." Seth just kept walking beside him. By the time they'd gotten back to their street, Roman was waiting for them in front of Seth's house. "Joe? What're you doing here?" The Samoan stood there, leaning against the wooden picket fence surrounding Seth's yard.

"Don't really have anything to do this weekend. You guys just wanna hang out?" Seth and Dean looked at him bewildered. They were still trying to get used to the whole friend thing. Seth looked more than happy to and said yes. Dean looked away with his head down. The two toned teen put a hand on his shoulder and asked him if he was alright.

"I'd love to, but I've gotta work, ya know what I'm sayin'?" Seth stared at him in shock. Roman looked happily surprised. Having a job was a responsibility he didn't want to deal with yet. The fact that Dean had one… "Gotta put food on the table and pay the bills."

"Don't your parents have jobs?" asked Roman. Seth and Dean flinched. The brunette had a dark look on his face while Seth paled. Roman didn't know about that.

" 'S not enough to keep us alive and under a roof." he replied coldly. Seth knew not to press the issue, but Roman didn't know when to quit. Seth learned the hard way that Dean hated talking about his personal life. He'd snap at you and change the subject or become a closed off mess. 'Please don't ask him, Joe.'

"Where do you work?" For God's- Grr.

"Auto shop downtown. 'M a mechanic."

"Downtown? How do you get there?" Seth cringed on the inside. No more questions, no more.

Dean sneered, "What do you think? I drive there." Wait a minute. The fact that he knew how to drive was bad enough. The fact that he did drive… It was illegal, but he knew not to voice that. Roman was about to say just that, but Seth interrupted him before he could get a word out.

"That's fine. We could always just hang out today, right?" He sent a scowl Roman's way, who just kept up that expressionless mask, an eyebrow raised. "How about a game of football?" Roman perked up at that.

"Who's your team?" Roman asked. Seth smiled and stated matter of factly, "The Bears." They had the same favorite team. Yes. They looked to Dean. He shook his head.

"Don't watch it. Not much of an NFL guy. Who's got the ball?" Roman held one up. For the next few hours, they passed it, tackled each other, scored, untIl it was down to Seth and Roman. Dean tossed the ball to Seth, but, before he could catch it, it was intercepted by Roman. The oldest of the three ran it to the other end of the yard and threw it down. "TOUCHDOWN! Your winner, Mr. Wrestling Royalty over there!" He strolled over and raised his hand in victory. Seth clapped him on the back.

"Nice, man. I've got you next time though," Seth warned, grinning and sucking in huge breaths of air. Roman nodded to him. Seth suddenly had an idea.

"Anyone up for a good ol' fashioned wrestling match?" Roman looked at him exasperated while Dean just gave him that trademark grin. It was bad enough his dad and uncle tried to teach him how to wrestle on a daily basis.

"I'm game. Joe, you're the ref." Seth took off his shirt, revealing the beginning of his abs. Dean did the same, a slightly more defined physique showing. Roman shook his head. This probably wouldn't end well.

"I didn't agree to anything." The two ignored him and were in a collar and elbow tie up. He groaned. He could walk home… but then these two would end up doing something stupid most likely. Dean put Seth in a standing side headlock before performing a snapmare and locking him into a headlock again. Seth struggled for a few seconds before countering the move into an armbar. Dean groaned in pain as Seth locked it in tighter. Is that what would contribute a bit to his bad shoulder in the future? Dean eventually escaped and the two stood and faced each other. Dean ran at Seth, who grounded him with an arm drag. Dean stood up and observed Seth. He had excellent technique and had a speed advantage over him. Hmm… He ran at Seth again, ducking a clothesline and countering with a neckbreaker. Dean went for the pin. Roman groaned, but counted anyway. "One!" Kick out. He rose and continued watching.

"C'mon, pretty boy. That the best you got?" Seth frowned and marched over to him. They stared each other down before Dean took a step back and aimed a kick at his midsection. Seth caught it and hit Dean with a dragon whip. While he was stunned, the two toned teen locked him in an Indian Deathlock. Dean screamed and struggled. There were no ropes out here, so he had to counter. Using his strength to his advantage, he tried to turn them over. Seth's eyes went wide.

"No no no no no!" He screamed as well as the pressure was reversed.

"Do you quit, Colby?" Seth shook his head, eyes squeezed closed in pain.

"Aaaaaaah! Dammit, Jon!" Somehow, he managed to free himself, clutching his legs. Dean stared at him confidently, clearly saying he had the match in the bag. He did, until Seth rolled him up. He thought it was for a pin, but he managed to roll upright. Right into a superkick. All three of them grimaced at the sound that the kick made when it connected. Seth went for the cover.

"One! Two!" Dean got his shoulder up off the ground. He could've sworn he was seeing stars for a few seconds. They went back and forth for a few more minutes, using basic holds and some of their own improvised moves, before both of them ended up flat on their backs. Roman was at a count of six before Dean stumbled to his feet. Seth was pushing himself up off his stomach onto his knees. When he got there, Dean ran at him and thrust his knee at Seth's head. The two toned teen crumpled unceremoniously onto his back. He fell on Seth for the cover. "One! Two! Three!" Dean immediately checked on Seth.

"Blondie. Pretty boy!" He slapped the younger boy's face a little, shook him, until his beautiful brown eyes fluttered open (Beautiful? What the fuck?). His pupils were blown up, excitement coursing through his veins. His body was practically vibrating with energy. Dean was the same way, feeling like he was on cloud nine, worry over his (friend?) acquaintance dulling it down some however. He smiled, genuine and relieved, and helped him up. "Your head okay?" Seth winced.

"I'll have a bump on it for a few days thanks to you, but yeah. How's the arm?" Dean stretched a bit and hissed in pain.

"It'll be sore, I can tell you that much." Roman looked between the two of them, a little jealous. Joe didn't have any friends he was that close to. Sure the two had only known each other for about a week, but they looked like old buddies who'd known each other for years. Seth went in to get them some waters and checked the time. 6 'o clock.

"Shit!" He still had to cook dinner. "Hey, I've gotta cook dinner before my dad gets back." Dean's smile disappeared while Roman looked completely understanding. Seth saw Dean's face and felt sympathy for the loner. "You're welcome to stay and eat too." He was addressing both of them.

"Nah. My mom'll kill me if I miss a meal at home. Thanks for the offer though. See you guys later?" Roman kindly declined.

"Sure thing." The two watched him disappear into his house a few doors down. Seth turned back to Dean. "I was serious when I said that. You and your mom are more than welcome to join us for dinner. There's plenty of food." Dean scratched the back of his neck and averted his gaze.

"I- Are you sure?" Seth nodded. Dean didn't know what to say. Again. Food is food though, so he wouldn't turn it down, if Seth was sure.

"Yeah. Head back over around… eight, I guess, since dad isn't back yet." Seth gave him one last warm smile before heading back into his kitchen and closing the front door. Dean stared at Seth through the open kitchen window. He'd done nothing but be a bipolar asshole all week, yet Seth continued being nice to him. He couldn't figure out if it was a genuine act or not. He walked back into his house, planning on enjoying the five minutes of hot water his shower offered and picking out something somewhat decent looking to wear. He didn't know much about the whole becoming friends thing, being polite, etc. All he knew was that Seth's hair tied back in a ponytail while mixing things in a bowl shouldn't have made him smile as much as it did.

XxX

Seth grabbed a ponytail holder off his counter and tied his hair back. He then went through the cupboards and cabinets, pulling out bowls, plates, and silverware. He got various things out of his fridge and began getting everything ready. He didn't really think about cooking while he was preparing the pasta he planned on devouring later. Nor when he was putting seasoning on the breadsticks. Especially not when he was making dessert (brownies with white chocolate chips and peanut butter filling). His mind was on Dean and Roman. Mostly Dean. As he poured cocoa into the bowl, he remembered a conversation, if it could be called that, at lunch one day at school. He had been going on about his older brother, how he wished he still lived with him and how alike they were. Of course, he had his moments. Brand was something else sometimes. He asked Dean if he had any siblings. And instantly regretted it.

"I wish, ya know?" he'd said in a depressed voice. "My mom's all I got. I doubt they'd be alive right now if I did have a sister or brother, ya know what I'm sayin'? I basically starve on a daily basis. Imagine another kid living with me. Don't think they'd make it…" He'd been quiet and closed off for the rest of the day then. Dean had scarfed down all the food on his tray everyday, as if he didn't eat at home. The truth is, he really didn't. He and his mother barely made enough money to keep a roof over their head, much less pay for food. And the fearful look in his eyes when Seth had mentioned cooking dinner. He couldn't just let Dean go hungry when he could cook plenty to feed everyone.

Seth stirred the huge pot of spaghetti on the stove a bit before turning it off. He took the breadsticks out of the oven, brushing a layer of butter, garlic, salt, and pepper on them, followed by the delicious smelling brownies. He set the trays on the kitchen table, along with some plates, silverware, napkins, and cups, before heading upstairs to shower. He relaxed under the warm spray, feeling his muscles he'd stretched earlier loosen up a bit. He scrubbed off all the mud and sweat he'd accumulated outside and got partially dressed, barefoot and shirtless with a towel around his neck. His black and blonde locks shined, slowly dripping water down his shoulders. Seth grabbed a random shirt from his drawers and headed back down into the kitchen. He heard his dad's car pull into the driveway and stopped at the foot of the stairs. He strolled over and hugged his dad, taking his briefcase up to his dad's makeshift office. He returned to the sound of the doorbell ringing followed by a few timid knocks. Shane turned to him confused.

"I hope you don't mind. I, uh… might have invited Jon and his mom over for dinner. Heheh…" Seth walked over to the front door, hand on the knob. Shane just smiled at his son and ruffled his wet hair.

"Well, things are moving along fast with you two," he said gladly, giving Seth a knowing smile. His son blushed.

"Daaaaad! We're not dating. I'm pretty sure he's straight anyway. We're just…" Words seemed to fail him then. What were they exactly? His dad raised his eyebrows.

"Just what? You're at least friends, right?" Seth opened the door and invited Dean and his mom in. He didn't answer the question. To be honest, he didn't really know. They glanced around at the kitchen in wonder before letting their eyes settle on the food on the table. The mouthwatering smell had Dean closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. Everything looked so tasty! "Grab a seat and help yourselves," Shane told them. "You can eat as much as you want." He took his usual seat at the end of the table. Seth took the seat diagonal to him, Dean next to him, and Angie across from them both.

"Thank you for this," she said to them quietly. Shane and Seth nodded. Dinner was quiet for the first few minutes until Shane and Angie started talking about work in between mouthfuls. He was a lawyer while she was a bartender of three different bars during the weekdays. They looked up from their plates to the sound of loud slurping. Dean's plate, which was piled high with breadsticks and pasta not thirty seconds ago, was empty save for the tomato sauce still there. He piled his plate high once more and repeated the process. Halfway done, he looked up to see everyone staring at him. He froze, sucked in a piece of spaghetti hanging between his lips, and glanced at each of them. Set's dad looked sympathetic, Seth looked happy, and his mom looked bewildered. How much food could her son eat?

"Should, I, uh… stop?" Dean didn't exactly do manners. He really didn't know any outside of "say please and thank you", "don't chew with your mouth open", and "no elbows on the table". Slurping bad. Duly noted. Everyone just smiled and kept talking and eating. By the time he'd finished his second plate, Dean had grabbed a few of Seth's brownies. By then, their parents had moved to the living room to talk about who knows what. As soon as the brunette bit into one, he instantly moaned at the texture and taste of the chocolate piece of Heaven. Seth laughed softly, trying really hard not to blush. "This is the most amazing thing I've ever tasted, except for maybe that pie." He took another bite and moaned louder this time. Seth's face turned the shade of a cherry and sitting had become much more uncomfortable than he would've liked. He knew his cooking was good, but was it that good?

"I could give you the recipe if you want. You can have some of the stuff from our pantry to make 'em." Dean's eyes lit up and he eagerly nodded. Shane and Angie beamed, watching their kids interact.

"They've warmed up to each other pretty fast," Angie stated.

"Yeah, I didn't think they would. They don't find it easy to make friends. Colby, he's… not your average teenage boy. He's brilliant, a total nerd *Angie giggles*, a huge wrestling fan, can actually hack a computer-" At this point, she'd busted out laughing. Shane gave a sheepish grin. "It's true! He hacked into my work laptop because our computer needed fixing. He can pick locks, seems to find out everything, he's basically a mini-"

"Ninja?" she answered. He nodded to her. They both glanced into the kitchen when they heard Seth yelp. Dean had jabbed him with a fork (years later in CZW…), saying that, as the guest, he would do the dishes. Seth protested, saying that it was his house, his dishes, his job. They were playing tug of war with a wooden spoon before Dean grabbed a dull fork and jabbed Seth, who jumped backward with a yelp. Dean smirked and continued scrubbing plates. "Hahaha! Jon isn't really a friend person either. He's got a beautiful voice, if he would just take a class or something. He's into cars, motorcycles, how things work. Our Camaro is like his baby, I swear. And wrestling. Jesus, he's obsessed with it. He says it's one of the only things in the world that makes him truly happy. All the times he's quoted wrestlers on their catchphrases…"

"All the times Colby has tried to do Sweet Chin Music…"

"All the times Jon has tried to put me in a sharpshooter…" They looked on, Dean finishing washing the dishes and Seth drying them. When they finished, Shane spoke up.

"Boys! *they look at him* Why don't you two hang out up in Colby's room for a little while?" They look at each other and smile. Seth raced Dean up the stairs and jumps onto his bed, landing on his back and laughing. Dean jumped as well, landing on top of him. They were face to face, bodies touching, and a bit too close for comfort, yet neither of them could move. Seth saw Dean's genuine smile and melted. Had he always had adorable dimples? Dean leaned down and they touched foreheads, eyes closed and demeanor at peace. The moment was weirdly intimate almost. The brunette apologized and got up and off the bed after a minute or two. Seth slowly sat up, missing the contact a little.

"So, this is my room. Video games, comics, wrestling merchandise, my computer, tv. Nothin' special really. I might have a Taker shirt if you want it." Dean shook his head while examining a few action figures.

"Taker isn't my guy."

"But you said-"

"That he's my favorite. To watch. He's not the guy I look up to. At least, not my top guy, ya know what I'm sayin'?" Seth looked curious, so he continued. "I've always idolized Bret Hart. The dude is a legend. Actually, I think he's retiring this year. He's not the biggest guy, he's not the strongest or the fastest, but he proves that he's one of the greatest in the business. He can think his way out of anything, has so many different holds and moves. I actually still have the pair of glasses he gave me, back when I still lived on the other side of town, from a house show. Best day of my life…" Seth contemplated his words.

"The dude I look up to has a never say die attitude. He's been champ, had an amazing career so far, hates to follow rules like a certain someone I know… *looks at Dean* He's injured at the moment, but I look forward to the day he comes back. My guy's Shawn Michaels." Dean chuckled at him. "What?"

"… Do you fantasize about the Sexy Boy everyday?" Seth blushed.

"I can't help my sexuality, man. Besides, it's not my fault his entrance theme doesn't lie…" Dean smiled softly at him.

"There's nothin' wrong with liking guys, Colby," he said honestly. Seth felt shocked that Dean was actually using his name. In a playful tone, he stated, "And just so you know, I think Joe's taken." Seth playfully shoved him and turned on his tv.

"Shut up. How about some video games then? I've got a Smackdown vs Raw game, some racing game-"

"Can you upgrade the cars?" Seth nodded and put it into his PlayStation. He easily beat Dean in their first race… then proceeded to be utterly dominated the rest of the game. Seth would be four or five places ahead and Dean would fly out of nowhere and take the lead. Being the gamer he was, it frustrated him to no end. Soon enough, he'd finally won a race, just barely. "That is… 11-2. I thought you said you were good at this?"

"Is that a challenge?" Seth answered back. They stared into each other's eyes before agreeing on best two out of three. During the last race, their parents came up. Dean's mom told him it was time to go.

"Just *drifts around a corner* one *bumps into Seth's car* last *uses car's boost* level *earns bonus points*." He crossed the finish line just before Seth, who threw his controller down and tackled Dean with a smile on his face. Dean cheered and laughed, saying Seth would get him next time. They got up and said goodbye to each other, before Seth piped up.

"We can do this again next week, right?" Shane and Angie looked at each other with that happy, "Oh boy" look. Dean replied with excitement.

"Definitely." Seth watched them leave and closed the front door. He plopped down in a chair.

"So if you're not dating," Shane started. Seth groaned. "What are you two?"

"… I guess we're friends," Seth replied, letting it sink in. The impossible task he'd accepted last week was complete. Who'd have thought? He doubted anyone else he knew would be thrilled. It didn't matter though. Forget how horrified the rest of the school would be. It sounded just right to him. Friends…