"Jesus fucking christ..." Seth groaned as he placed his hand over his ribs. He was back in the trainer's room, getting looked over because he had so much difficulty really breathing after Roman's spear. His breath was coming back to him now, though he was reluctant to say so. Dean and Roman were both with him, standing a bit of a ways away from him so they could argue between themselves. He had been trying to listen to what they were saying, but his pain kept distracting him. At least he could take comfort in the fact that they were there. And Dean wasn't happy that he was hurt. He was trying to act like he didn't care too much, but as hard as he tried to hide it, the concern was still clearly there. Seth didn't want to make it go away by admitting that the pain was starting to lessen.

"How was I supposed to know he saved you?" Roman just shrugged helplessly against the look Dean was giving him. "Come on man, give me a break. I saw him near you with a chair. Can you really blame me for what I thought?"

"I'm not saying I blame you," Dean argued. "I just don't see how total annihilation was the appropriate answer."

"Appropriate answer? Appropriate answer?" Roman looked at him in utter disbelief. "Who are you and what have you done with my Dean?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Oh shut up."

"No really."

"I said shut up."

Seth watched as Roman reached over and ruffled Dean's hair. Dean tried to look annoyed as he slapped his hand away, but Seth still saw him fighting back a grin. Oh how times had changed. He remembered the months he had to go around and try to keep himself in between them because they couldn't get along. But now the brotherhood he had desperately wanted them to find before was there.

"I don't think anything's broken." The trainer's voice brought all eyes on him. "But I'm going to recommend you take it easy for a day or two."

Seth snorted. "Yeah, like that's gonna happen." Once the trainer had stepped back he got up, wincing as he did so. "I'll be fine doc. Don't be telling them I can't compete."

Dean rolled his eyes. "And they call me stubborn."

That muttered statement was not lost on Seth or Roman. "You are stubborn," Roman reminded him.

"I've never met anybody more stubborn," Seth added.

Dean narrowed his eyes. "Name one time that I -"

"Remember when you flooded the basement of our old apartment building because you wouldn't ask anyone how to work the washing machine?"

Dean immediately shut up while Roman smirked. Seth grinned, not only because he had won the argument with a slam dunk, but because in that moment, it felt just like old times again. It felt like he had never made the decision to leave them at all. And god how he wished he hadn't. The regret over having done so hit him in full force once again.

"Whatever." Dean huffed out the word as his lip jutted out in a pout. "Fuck you guys." He started to turn around to leave. "I don't need this shit."

Seth reached out and grabbed his wrist, making him stop and turn back around. The move earned a glare from Roman, but Seth tried to just ignore that for now. He kept his eyes locked on Dean, who was looking at him in confusion. "Can we um...go somewhere?" He swallowed nervously, his voice wavering now. "Just to um...I don't know...talk?"

Dean eyed him warily before looking to Roman. Seth kept his eyes locked on his ex, not wanting to see Roman shake his head in a bid to tell him not to do it. Seconds dragged by like hours and he tried to ready himself for the rejection.

"Get us a room and text me where it's at." Dean's words surprised them all. "I'll meet you there."

Seth's eyes widened and now he finally did look at Roman. The older man didn't look thrilled by Dean's decision, but he clearly recognized that he wasn't going to talk Dean out of it. "Call me if you need me," he said while shooting Seth a death glare.

Dean rolled his eyes. "I'm a big boy Ro-Ro. I can take care of myself."

Roman made a face. "Don't call me that shit."

"Ro-Ro? But it's fun!"

"Dean I swear to god."

"Ro-Ro are you mad?"

"I'm gonna punch you."

Dean snickered and motioned for Seth to follow him. "I'm picking where we go," he informed him. "Just so you know."

Seth just nodded. Arguing with that statement had never worked before, and it damn sure wouldn't work now. But at least they were going, so he was happy over that. Any small victory was a big one in his book.

In his bid to push Seth's buttons just to see what would happen, Dean chose the greasiest, most questionable looking diner he could find for them to eat at. He watched as Seth wrinkled his nose in disgust, though no actual objection came. Instead he kept his mouth shut, electing to just drink a diet Coke while Dean ordered a burger and fries to go with his drink. Very few people occupied the building with them. There was their waitress, a middle aged brunette with tattoos peeking out from her uniform. A cook they could hear cursing all the way back from the kitchen. An older looking black man that had a rather shiny bald head. A couple of teenagers who looked like they were runaways. Dean took a moment to watch them in particular. That had been him once. When he had been fifteen he had taken off, unable to cope with the things that had been going on at home. His mother's drug habit had gone completely out of control while her boyfriend at the time had been dangerously violent. He had hated Dean to the point of trying to strangle him one night in a drunken rage. He had managed to escape and stayed out on the streets for a couple of months before getting caught by police and being forced to go back home. By that time that boyfriend was gone. Bastard had gotten shot by one of his other whores, meaning his mom had moved on to another. That guy wasn't great either, but he had just been a junkie with all bark and no bite. That was something Dean could handle.

"Think they'll make it?" Seth had turned to see what Dean was looking at. He knew what Dean was thinking about. He knew his past. He was the only one Dean had really talked to about it. Roman knew some, but Dean never liked to get into details about it with him. Sharing them with Seth had been hard enough as it was.

"I dunno." Dean looked away from them and turned his attention back to his own table. He grabbed the little basket that held the little packets of sugar and started to play with it. "If they already got a drug habit I'll say no."

"You got past yours."

"But they're more likely to be sticking needles in their arm instead of just trying to snort their weight in cocaine." Dean grabbed one of the sugar packets and rubbed it between his fingers. "Getting off that is fucking dangerous as shit. Mom tried to once. It nearly killed her." He let out a short, bitter laugh. "Course she was still dead before forty, but you know, whatever."

Seth shifted around uncomfortably. He was sitting across from Dean in their booth, and it looked like he wanted to reach over the table and grab his hand. Once upon a time he would have done it without hesitation. But now he didn't. He didn't know if that was okay. Hell, Dean didn't even know if that would be okay with him. He had missed Seth, but they couldn't just jump back to how they were and pretend nothing had happened. He wasn't putting himself that much out there.

"You didn't bring me here to talk about that shit dude." Dean finally decided to just move the conversation along himself.

"Technically speaking, I didn't bring you here. You brought me." Seth eyed their surroundings warily. "I guess this means if we like, die in here or whatever it's your fault and not mine."

"We're not gonna fucking die in here."

"You really don't got me convinced dude."

"Well you're just a fucking baby." Dean dropped the sugar packet and pushed the little basket away. "We'll be fine."

Seth still didn't look convinced, but didn't argue. "I just um...I didn't really plan out what I was going to say."

"You didn't plan something?" Dean put a hand over his chest. "Be still my fucking heart."

Seth rolled his eyes. "I honestly didn't think you'd even say yes."

"Probably shouldn't have. But you know, it's whatever. You can't do anything worse than what you've already done."

"Dean I'm -"

"Don't. Stop apologizing. I'm not good with that shit and I get the point." Dean grabbed on to his glass of soda but didn't actually move to drink it. He just needed something to do with his hand. "You're sorry and you miss me. You don't got to beat it into my head so much."

"Do you believe me?"

"I guess I do. Or I just want to. I don't know fucking know." Dean let out a long sigh and looked around. He was really hoping his food would come soon.

Seth leaned forward and let his elbows rest on the table. "You gonna tell Dolph you came here with me?"

Dean shrugged. "He broke it off with me so I don't actually have to tell him shit."

Seth frowned in confusion. "He did what?"

"Dumped me. He figured I was gonna do it anyway so he uh, did it first." Dean shrugged his shoulders. "I respect it. I've been there and done that. I'm not actually like, good at it, but it's better to do it than have it done to you. Hurts a little less."

"Right." Seth shifted his gaze around, contemplating what to say next. He was being careful with his words in an attempt to not fuck it up. "Why were you um, gonna dump him?"

Dean was spared from answering by the arrival of his food. He started shoveling it into his mouth, hoping by the time that he was done he could avoid answering this question once again. He didn't want to tell Seth that it was ultimately because of him. Even if he just said it was because he and Dolph wanted different things, Dean ultimately didn't want to give those things to Dolph because of Seth.

"I hope nobody spit in that or anything." Seth eyed the food like it had been poisoned.

"Why would they spit in it?"

"I don't know. This place is kind of sketchy. Food's probably bound to be poisoned or spat in."

"Well, given the fact that I've had my tongue in an ass before, a little spit isn't something I'm too worried about."

Seth just stared at him, unable to come up with a response to that one. Dean nodded in satisfaction and ate the rest of his meal in silence. The food wasn't really all that bad. As far as questionable late night diners went, this one was one of the better ones.

When he was done Seth grabbed the bill and paid before he could do it. He rolled his eyes and muttered about how he could have gotten it. The comment went completely ignored. Instead Seth directed him out of the diner, his eyes nervously glancing at Dean every two seconds. The wheels were turning inside his head. Dean knew it. He didn't say anything about it though. He kept his silence, shoving his hands into his pockets to make sure he still had the car keys in his left one. He was absolutely terrible at keeping track of shit like that. Roman rarely ever let him drive when they traveled together for that very reason.

"Dean?" Seth wasn't even trying to walk over to the passenger's side of the car. He had followed Dean to the driver's side door, looking more nervous than ever.

"What?" Dean turned around to face him. The keys were out of his pocket now and gripped tightly in his hand.

Seth just stared at him for a moment, at war with what he wanted to do. Dean opened his mouth to say "what" again, not having the patience to just wait. Before the word could escape him though, Seth's hands grabbed his face and his mouth was suddenly on his in a desperate, needy kiss. Dean's eyes widened, but he didn't push Seth away. His hands gripped the front of Seth's shirt instead, fingers twisting at black, cotton material. He felt himself being pushed back first against the car door, the weight of Seth's body keeping him trapped there. His lips were moving, returning the kiss with equal intensity. He didn't know if this was a good idea. It probably wasn't. But it was too hard to care. Being wrapped up in Seth's kiss was making everything that had happened over the past year just melt away. None of it mattered in that moment. It wasn't thinking that would last, but for the moment he wanted to enjoy it.

The kiss somehow seemed to last forever, yet didn't last long enough at the same time. Dean's vision began to fade, the lack of oxygen pushing him to the verge of passing out. They finally broke apart, Dean taking more time to gasp for breath than Seth did. Seth's lips pressed a kiss against his forehead, letting it linger there for a long moment before pulling back.

"Well holy shit." Dean didn't know what else to say. He just had to break the silence somehow.

Seth let out a short laugh, a small smile crossing his face. "Yeah," he agreed. "Holy shit."

"What are we?" The question Seth hadn't had the courage to ask after the kiss came out once they had pulled into the hotel parking lot. He was sitting in the passenger's seat, his fingers picking nervously at his pants. It was a nervous habit Dean usually did, and one he wasn't fully aware that he was mimicking.

"What?" Dean had taken the keys out of the ignition and had just been about to get out of the vehicle.

Seth swallowed hard, knowing he couldn't take the question back now. "What are we? Like are we um...together or..." His voice trailed off and he just shrugged his shoulders, feeling totally stupid at the moment.

"Oh christ." Dean took his hand off the door and pinched the bridge of his nose. "How the fuck am I supposed to know?"

"Well I just like, figured it needed to be your decision. Because of what I did."

Dean was silent for a long time. His hand dropped away from his face, his fingers picking at his jeans now too. Seth bit down on his lower lip as he waited for an answer. "I don't know," Dean finally said. "I really don't know." He tilted his head back so it was resting against his seat. "I miss you. I fucking hate admitting that, but I do. But that shit you did wasn't okay. You fucking abandoned me when you swore you wouldn't. You told the whole world I was fucking nothing to you. I was just some bipolar headcase you decided to use for your own means."

"And that wasn't true. That never was true. I only said that to fuck with you because I was a selfish asshole like that."

"That's not making me feel better."

"Dean I'm sorry!" Seth unbuckled his seatbelt, not wanting to be restrained in case he needed to stop Dean from getting out of the car. "What do you want me to do? Do you want me to give you a chair so you can beat me with it? Do you want me to get on my knees and beg you for forgiveness? Just tell me what you want."

"I don't fucking know what I want!" Dean snapped. He glared at Seth, looking ready to deck him right then and there. "I can't fucking decide. I miss you. I know that much. It fucking sucks not having you around. But what am I supposed to do if you fuck me over again? How am I supposed to know you're not gonna decide that I'm not worth it again and leave me?"

"I wouldn't."

"And why should I believe you? Maybe you miss me now and maybe you want me back now, but how am I supposed to just like...we can't just go back to being us again. Not right now." Dean swallowed hard and looked away. "I just...I don't know." He laughed bitterly and rubbed his hands over his face. "I think I need time."

Seth just nodded. That was a fair thing to be asked for. Just missing each other or wanting to be back together wasn't enough. Not with the seeds of mistrust that Dean still obviously felt towards him. That trust had to be earned once more. He couldn't push Dean too fast. Dean would either end up rejecting him outright for it, or he would give in and then the lack of trust would destroy them from the inside out.

"We should um...go in or whatever." Dean grabbed the door handle and opened his door. "Roman's waiting for me."

"Yeah. Right." Seth let out a long breath before getting out of the car. Dean went out too, using the button on the keys to pop the trunk so they could get their bags. "He's not um, gonna be waiting for me with a gun is he?"

"Of course not." Dean grabbed Seth's bag and handed it to him. "It's not like he could have gotten one while we were gone."

"...I know you're right and all, but that isn't really comforting." Seth watched Dean grab his own bag and shut the trunk. "So I guess uh, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Nah." Dean put his bag over his shoulder and smirked. "I'm thinking I'll skip out on Raw. Go sit in a jacuzzi somewhere. Polish my title."

Seth snorted.

Dean looked insulted. "What? You don't think I'd do that?"

"You hate jacuzzis and I was the one who polished your belt when you were US champ. So yeah, I'm calling bullshit on your plan."

"Well fuck, then I guess I gotta go to Raw." Dean sighed and started to head into the hotel. "I'll warn ya if Roman actually did get his hands on a gun or something. Figure I can at least give ya chance to run for it."

Seth's lips twitched. "You're not even going to make me sweat it?"

"Well if I decide to forgive you I can't have him killing you. I can't fuck you if you're dead. I'm not into the whole necrophilia thing."

Much like the tongue in the ass statement from earlier, Seth found himself stunned into complete silence. It wasn't until Dean was inside the building he managed to actually come up with any words that seemed fitting. "Well thank fucking god for that." He shook his head and let out a short laugh before going inside as well.