Previously: There's Roman clinging to Dean, Seth clinging to Dean and Dean more than ready to finally fall asleep. (If Roman and Seth would just chill out and let him.)

Sorry for the delay, guys. There have been some private things happening yesterday and I needed to take care of that first. I hope this part answered some (maybe all) of the questions people had about Roman. Next up should finally be Seth again. I never let him get any 'mic time' or treat him very well XD See you guys around and lets keep our fingers crossed for MitB!

'So,' he starts after a while, a bit unsure if it's really the right time to touch on this subject, but this is bugging Roman constantly during his waking hours and even though he doesn't want to pester Dean with it, he needs some clarity too.

The Shield might have dissipated, giving birth to two strong fighters in the process but Dean and Roman are still family. They're still here, still dealing with the aftermath of Seth's departure, still trying to hold on to each other.

And even if Dean vows to always stay loyal to Roman, the danger of Seth breaking them apart won't disappear with time. It all stands and falls with Seth and what kind of decision Dean will make in the future.

Because this feud isn't over. The war is far from over and Seth will have to play his role as a traitor for a long, long time while he and Dean can do whatever they want; so to speak. Outside of the ring, whenever he can escape the clutches of the Authority, he will continue to hunt down Dean. Seth will do anything he can to convince their brother that it's safe and the right thing to love him.

That it'll set them free.

And that's exactly what Roman is so afraid of. He is supportive of everything Dean does. He'll be the first to congratulate those two for finally sorting their shit out and giving in to their feelings. He's watched them gravitate around each other for way too long. In the end, he wants them to be happy.

But on the other hand, he has the right to get kissed by the sun too.

Seth is his brother and he'd take a bullet for him. Well, maybe not right at this moment, but generally, he'd give his own life if it would help him find eternal bliss. All he expects is to get some respect in return. And if he decides to do a leap of faith, he wants to be sure that there's someone catching his fall.

But Seth has lied to them, left them behind and is now using him as a tool for his plans. As smart as his brother may be, this is not acceptable. He wants to be treated like an equal. Maybe he doesn't deserve it because this is not his relationship, but it is his brotherhood.

If Dean takes off with Seth, it's Roman who has to pick up the shattered pieces of his life and everything they've left behind.

Up until Seth's betrayal he has always encouraged the younger to charm Dean, to take things a step further while not rushing them too much, because Dean always needs some time to get used to changes. But now he's reluctant to let him go.

These past few days have shown him that he is no more ready for the weight of Dean and Seth. And his biggest fear is that Dean will leave him as soon as he knows about this. That he may think Roman is a liar and stands in the way of his happiness.

The more he mulls over it, the more complicated it gets.

'Have you thought about your whole situation yet?' Finally the question is out there, hanging in the air like the sword of Damocles. His fingers shake a bit, so he gives his best to move them as much as he can, hopefully making it impossible for Dean to feel the trembling.

He hears a long yawn that makes him smile for a second and then Dean answers with a sleepy voice, 'Don't worry, big guy. You're not gonna get rid of me so soon.' As if he knows exactly what's going on inside of Roman's head.

Well, Dean is saying that now; Seth is out of the picture for a while, yet there will come a time when Dean can't wait to be close to him again. And then what?

'You gonna give him another chance?'

Dean grunts and tries to turns his head back to the other side, but even this little action seems to cost him too much energy, so he just breathes into the pillow for a while before answering slowly, almost hesitantly, 'Dunno. You'll be the firs' to know.'

'He hurt me too,' Roman adds after a while, a bit petulant, and that makes Dean whip his head around, so he can look at him with a gentle smile while he tries to pat his leg. 'Gonna make him pay for it.'

It's not a promise. It's more like a threat and Roman can feel his spirits lift at that because Dean always keeps his word. It doesn't matter that his brother is already halfway in la-la-land. This is something Dean is totally set on doing anyway.

He'll destroy Seth in the ring, no matter what. And it won't be just for himself. Dean is fighting for Roman too. He's known that for a long time now, but hearing the words coming out of Dean's mouth lets him forget for a while how disappointed he is of Seth and this whole situation.

This is the reason Roman wants to keep The Shield alive. Why he will carry it on until the day all three of them find their way back to each other again. Maybe not in the WWE, but as friends, brothers, a unit. There is so much left of them that's worth saving, worth fixing. One day, Seth will understand just like Dean already has.

'I know I said I'll support you on your journey,' Roman whispers, fingers ghosting over Dean's skin, barely touching it. He's not quite sure he wants Dean to hear this. 'I don't know if I can forgive him.'

Dean doesn't react for a couple of minutes, breath even and deep, and Roman stops his treatment, sad and relieved at the same time that Dean is out cold, when his voice breaks the silence. ''s okay. Imma wait till you're ready.'

Sweet, precious little Dean. Before Roman got to know him better, understood how he ticked, he thought this guy was a raging, arrogant lunatic, doomed to be a lone wolf forever because no one could ever like him. But then he got to work with him in FCW, watched him beating himself up backstage (literally and figuratively) every time Seth crossed his path.

And then he got to love him as his little brother, realizing how damn wrong he had been with his first impression. Yes, Dean could be an asshole, could say and do things that aren't okay, but behind the mask he's just a normal guy with some issues. Honestly, who isn't?

Dean is maybe the most caring person he has ever met. He won't show it, would rather die than admit the truth, but it's written all over his face that he cares for the ones he loves more than for himself. Dean has a big heart and it's in the right place. As long as you're not on his shit list, you have nothing to fear.

But this is a favor Roman can't ask of Dean. He can't hold him back just so he won't be stuck alone in the darkness. Or can he? Would that be too selfish? Does Seth even deserve Dean after everything he's done? Does Roman?

'Don't,' he pleads and brushes over Dean's unruly hair. 'Don't sacrifice your happiness for me.' Even though he wants nothing more than to wake up in the morning and the only thing that hurts is his body, he can't ask Dean to do this. He should be the one doing everything in his power to get those two goobers back together.

No matter what that means for himself.

'Shh,' Dean murmurs, still patting his leg, ''s okay. Know what 'm doin'.' Exactly. They both know. Roman has promised to stand behind Dean and Seth's quest to find eternal love and now he's not sure if he can fulfill it. Which is why he forces his friend into a position to ignore what Dean himself wants, just so that Roman gets what he needs.

This is not what a big brother should do. He's a really poor example of one these days. Having Dean as a part of his family is the best thing that has happened to him in years. It probably won't get any better than this.

'I don't deserve you,' he says softly, as if he's sharing a well-kept secret. Dean stops patting him and opens his eyes again. They're darker than usual, the pupils blown widely until they get used to the harsh light again. 'Seth doesn't deserve us,' he disagrees with a merciless smile.

They hold their gazes for a few heartbeats until tiredness takes over Dean's body again. 'Don' do that, Ro,' Dean begs and his fingers search blindly for Roman's hand. He gives Dean his right one – there's less oil on it – and bites back a fond remark when his brother grips his fingers tighter than expected. Dean is fighting against falling asleep with all his willpower to not leave Roman alone with his worries.

'Don' go there. 'm your brother. Do anythin' for ya.' He knows. And he's glad he has found someone like Dean to light up the darker days of his life. His brother is very passionate about this whole thing and Roman kind of finds joy in Seth's misfortune, because he isn't the one to know the true promise of it.

Dean would rather abandon Seth once and for all than leaving Roman behind. And if that doesn't slow down his heartbeat and lets his anxiety vanish, he has no clue what else could.

'And Seth?' he needs to ask, just to make sure Dean still knows what he's talking about. He feels warm fingers wrap around his own again as Dean tugs them towards his chest. 'Shh,' he reprimands him once again, 'no more talking. Jus' you 'n me.'

Just him and Dean. It has a nice ring to it.

As if he'd somehow sensed that he was about to get pushed into the background, Seth writes him again and Roman puts the phone on silent. Dean is not yet sleeping, but he's very close and Roman doesn't want to keep him up any longer.

He's heard everything he needed – actually even more. A good night's rest is exactly what Dean should have. Seems like he himself will have a little chat with Seth now. But that's okay. He's not tired anyway. And he can sleep in the car when Dean drives them to the next town.

(Yes, considering their history with cars, that's the ultimate proof of trust and by now, Roman believes Dean is entitled to it. After everything he has done for Roman tonight and will continue to do in the future.)

I love him. I really do.

Yeah, he gathered that much on his own already. It's kinda hard not to notice. He writes back a so do I, being once again cranky as hell, but doesn't give a shit about it. Maybe Seth needs the reminder that Dean is out of reach right now and that Roman could potentially replace him.

(Not that he ever would start a serious relationship with Dean. He loves his brother, he does. Just not like this. But Dean and he have already started this whole touching in front of Seth, making him jealous thing and Roman could take it to the next level. Taunt Seth a bit. Just for fun. It'd be a really good rib.)

I'm going to fix this. Dean and me. All three of us.

There a voice ringing inside of his head, asking Do you even want that? Aren't you happier with only Dean around? and he hates himself for letting it poison his thoughts. But it has a good point when it breaks the news to him that Dean will change as soon as he and Seth are an official thing. That their relationship, their brotherhood won't be the same anymore.

you can try

'Wha's he sayin'?' Dean mutters, tongue heavy and voice thick with sleep. Roman is quite surprised he's still awake. He uses that moment to untangle their hands and repositions himself on the bed, sitting next to Dean, leaned up against the headrest.

Dean doesn't move, eyes closed and face completely relaxed. (It's in that moment that Roman decides to not care about the stained sheets for tonight, since he probably won't get any sleep himself anyway. And forcing Dean to get up again would just be unnecessarily mean.)

I will. I owe it to you.

He does. And there's a favor Roman will ask of him later. For the moment he's just glad that Seth finally realized that he has to make it up to two people; not just the one he holds so dearly.

'That he loves you.' It's the right thing to say. Roman has learned these past few weeks that lies get you nowhere – they just ruin everything they had arduously built up over the course of three years in no time.

Dean hums, a smile dancing across his face and it's the first time that Roman sees him taking the news so even-tempered. He should keep that in mind, in case Seth asks him about some advice in the future. Just tell him you love him while he's on the verge of falling asleep and he'll be completely under your spell.

He rubs his left hand on his sweatpants to get rid of most of the oil and pats Dean's head gently before bending down and planting a small kiss on his hair. When he retreats back and catches Dean's almost face-splitting grin, he allows himself to feel giddy and warm because of it.

I never wanted to hurt you.

There we go. Finally. Took him long enough to figure out that he didn't only turn on Dean. Roman watches with one eye how Dean's back moves up and down with each breath he takes, while he simultaneously writes back to Seth: but you did. you still do.

His little brother takes his sweet time answering, so Roman gets up very carefully and tugs the blanket out under Dean in slow motion to cover him up when the deed is done. Seth has already replied, begging him to give him more time, so he can concentrate on one task at a time.

fine, whatever. you can start with helping dean get a spot for your ladder match

Roman turns off the lights and sits back on the bed, while listening to the sounds of the city outside. Now that he's stuck in the darkness with only Seth to keep him company he gets tired too. At the moment, talking to that kid is like getting the life sucked out of you.

He just closed his eyes when Dean speaks up again, scaring him to death. He almost falls off the bed, only barely able to hold onto the headrest to balance himself. 'He loves ya too, y'know?'

Deep down, he does. Never stopped believing. But a lot has happened, a lot of blood was spilled and Roman isn't exactly willing to forgive Seth just like that because they used to be family. Even brothers have to admit they made a mistake.

Roman has accepted Seth walking out on them in March without hearing those words and he never once complained about it. This time though he wants to be able to look back at this moment in the future and think: I don't regret a thing.

'Shh.' It's his turn to silence Dean, gently stroking through the messy, dirty blond hair, tucking stray strands back behind his ear. 'Just sleep.' Dean opens his mouth, most likely to protest, but not a single sound comes out.

Roman sees his lips moving when his phone lights up again, Seth's name popping up on the display, but Dean is more important right now. There is obviously something he wants to say before he forgets it during his sleep.

'I,' he eventually starts, Roman hanging at his lips as if he's about to hear all of Dean's history, scooting a bit closer in the darkness to not miss even a single syllable.

He what? Seriously, Dean can't let Roman hanging the air like this. He would like to eat pizza for breakfast? He misses Seth? He loves Roman too?

But Dean has finally fallen asleep. No matter how long Roman waits, he won't speak up again. Whatever moment they had, it's gone now. Seems like he'll have to wait until Dean is ready to open up once more. Whenever that may be. If it'll ever happen. So, Seth it is then.

I'm working on it.

Which means he doesn't have a clue yet how to get Dean in the match. He actually has to smile at that. Seth, the master of all plans, is at the end of his rope.

(Roman knows that Seth can't concentrate on every little detail like he used to because his thoughts are always revolving around Dean, but it still feels good to know that even Seth can't solve everything. It's time the kid realizes that he's not alone in this. That Roman and Dean are smart individuals too. And that Dean is also very manipulative and creative. Or spontaneous, however you want to call it.)

Bottom line is: Seth isn't fighting this war on his own; he needs to let go of some things – should add luck and coincidence in the equation too – and trust his family to do the right thing.

If Seth can ask for their blind faith, he should be willing to give it to them too.

you don't need to. give dean free reign.

He's able to sneak into the bathroom to wash his hands and clean up his phone before Seth replies. Roman can almost hear the younger's voice in his ears, sounding defeated yet stubborn when he reads the line Hunter won't put him in the match.

Of course he won't. Not if Seth doesn't beg for it. But that wouldn't be logical, right? Seth needs a valid reason to go to his new sugar daddy, to tug at his coat and look at him with those puppy eyes, asking for his old sandbox friend to be in the match, so he can break his neck with a ladder.

And Dean will give Seth a good enough reason to do that. Unintentional or not, Dean will do something irrational but undoubtedly very clever to earn a spot in that match. There are no two ways about it.

i know. we all do. still, wait for his move before you do anything rash.

He crawls under the cover too and turns away from Dean, who's peacefully sleeping, a small smile grazing his lips. Whatever he's dreaming of, it must be good. Maybe they'll even be able to make it through the night without one of his nightmares.

What move? Did he say anything?

Did he say anything about me? Seth hasn't added those words but Roman can see them nonetheless, knows Seth has already typed them before he deleted them again, just to write and erase them once more. He is dying to know about anything Dean might have said about him, their current muddled situation or their possible future.

Roman decides it's best to ignore that unspoken question. Pissing Seth off is only funny if he can see the other's face. Even though Roman would love to make a remark about him and Dean getting cozy, how they're not even bothering to talk about their little brother.

(It would drive Seth crazy until he'd crash into their hotel room fiercely, trying to stop something that's only taking place in his head. Now that he thinks about it, the temptation to just do it is almost too much to handle.)

So before he types any stupid shit, he answers: what move? as if dean ever knows what he'll be doing. but he's as cunning and scheming as you. you'll recognize his move when he makes it.

It's almost time for the sun to rise again and Roman curses his own stupidity to not get some hours of sleep when he had the chance. He'll be a wreck for the next few days. Or more like a zombie.

Honestly, he can't wait for Dean to wake up again, so they can check out of this hotel and travel on. The prospect of sleeping in the car seems like the best thing in the world right now. Wait, why did he think it'd be a bad idea to get some rest in a spacious bed? Right. Why sleep comfortably tucked away on a soft mattress when you can have the hard and unforgivable back seat?

He's so not making the right decisions in life.

Don't worry, I got this.

He'll have to. And Roman knows that he will, because Seth thinks it's his life-task to look out for Dean; to protect and shield him. But it is Roman's too. Contrary to Seth, Roman knows that Dean doesn't need a constant guardian. He just likes to know the prospect of one is out there.

But maybe that's part of this whole Dean/Seth thing. They're two sides of the same coin, unable to live with or without each other, destined to be together as soon as they can find each other in the maze of life.

Seth cares for Dean so much that he sometimes forgets that his brother is an individual, able to make his own mistakes (wanting to make them even, so he can learn from them) and decisions. Seth is so concerned about everyone's well-being that he tends to ignore what's right and what's wrong.

It's like Roman said, Seth still has a lot to learn. He doesn't know it any better at the moment, even though he is so incredibly smart. Roman should take him under his wing again. Some day. Maybe.

God, this is one fucked up family. (Strangely, that's exactly how Roman likes it.)

famous last words.

The first rays of sunlight invade their little hotel room and Roman turns back towards Dean again to block out the light for as long as his body can cast a shadow over his best friend.

I got this.

Yeah. He better does. Or Roman will kick his ass into the next millennium.