Chapter Eleven: I'm Leaving Tonight, I'll Be Gone In The Morning

Another day, another awkward ride to school. Seth wants to confront Dean about what he'd learned from John and Roman the previous week, but for some reason, he just can't bring himself to do it. He's pretty sure that it has to do with his fear that Dean will just reject him, but he's not sure. Everything seems so overly complicated when it comes to the dirty blonde.

What he does know is how much harder it is to see Dean talking to anyone now that he knows what his intentions typically are. Everytime he sees Dean with someone else, there's a nagging voice in the back of his mind that tells him that Dean's going to go home with that person, and that they're going to…

Well, he won't think about that part.

Seth's busy grabbing things from his locker when he feels a presence behind him. Odd, because it doesn't feel like it's John or Roman, or even Dean. No, whoever this is, he's sure he's never spoken to before.

"Hey."

The voice is deep. Like, really deep, but a different deep than Dean's. Dean's voice is deep and raspy, but this voice is smooth as silk. He turns around and is faced with a very tall, very tan, very, well, attractive guy.

"Oh, uhh-" Seth's initial shock at the very large presence of the man causes him to drop his books. The man grins at him and bends over to pick them up before Seth can even think about doing it for himself. When he straightens out and hands Seth his books, he blushes and chokes out a quiet, "sorry".

The man grins even harder, leaning against the lockers. "It's cool. Seth, right?" Seth nods. "I saw you at the frozen yogurt place last week, with that couple. Uhh… John and Roman." Again, Seth can only nod. "Anyways, I don't think you noticed me. You seemed pretty invested in the conversation you were having with them. But I couldn't keep my eyes off of you."

Seth gulps in an animated type of way, before squeaking, "R-really?"

The man laughs. "Really. You're quite the looker."

Seth looks around, wondering if he'll find anyone hiding in a corner and laughing at his expense, because this has to be a joke. No one's ever hit on him before. Least of all, someone as attractive as this guy. He looks back at the man, and furrows his eyebrows a bit. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I know your-"

"Randy. Randy Orton."

Seth nods. "Why haven't I ever seen you around before?"

The guy-Randy-switches from leaning his shoulder against the locker to leaning his back against it, all the while keeping his eyes locked on Seth's. "I like to keep low. Some say I'm like a snake."

There's a certain danger in Randy's eyes that didn't allow Seth to doubt it. There's a coldness in his gaze that's very serpent-like, but the danger and the cold didn't seem to be directed at Seth. It seemed to be more in Randy's aura.

"Well, it's-uh-nice to meet you?" He didn't mean for it to come out as a question, really, but he still isn't 100% sure what it was that Randy wants.

The taller laughs. "It's very nice to meet you too, Seth. And I'd definitely like to see more of you." He says, his voice seeming to drop a whole octave lower. "So why don't you give me a call sometime?"

"No way! No way Randy-freaking-Orton asked you out!"

Seth is sitting in John's living room with Roman after school that same day. The awkwardness between himself and Dean has lead Seth to spend more and more time with the couple, and while he hates this growing distance with Dean, he does love spending time with John and Roman.

"He did. And he gave me his number." Seth says, pulling the piece of paper containing the number in question and hands it to Roman, who all but snatches it from his grasp.

"This is crazy. Randy's like, one of the most popular guys in school! And he likes you!"

"Wow, should I be jealous? You sure do speak highly of the guy." John mumbles, crossing his arms over his chest.

Roman rolls his eyes. "Oh stop, you know that Randy's not my type. But Seth on the other hand…"

Seth's eyes widen. "Hey! Who said he's my type!" He yells, but he's laughing at the same time. "I didn't even know he existed until this morning! And he told me that he likes to keep low. How is that possible if you're saying that he's the most popular guy in school?"

"That's what makes him so "popular"." John says, creating air quotes with his fingers. "The fact that he's so elusive. The fact that it seems like everyone is his friend, and yet no one can ever seem to see him around school, let alone talk to him for two seconds. He's like a-"

"A snake?" Seth offers, and John nods, looking a bit bewildered. Seth laughs. "That's what he told me too. But honestly, I don't think that he's really my type. I mean, he's kind of scary. Very intimidating."

"Yeah, but he's so hot."

"Jesus, Roman, why don't you just date him then?" John asks, rolling his eyes and getting up and leaving the room.

Seth gives Roman a sad look. "Why don't you go after him. I gotta get going anyways."

Roman sighs. "Yeah, thanks. I'll text you later, alright?" He walks Seth to the door and opens it for him. And before Seth can walk out, Roman gasps. "Oh! And here's Randy's number back. John would kill me if I accidentally kept it."

"I'm so sorry, Roman. I didn't mean to cause John to get upset with you."

Roman shakes his head and waves Seth off. "Don't worry about it. John gets jealous super easily." Roman brings a finger to his chin and taps it in mock thought. "Well, not as easily as Dean, but pretty close."

Seth furrows his eyebrows as he unlocks his car. "Dean? What do you mean?"

"When I first started dating John and hanging out with him a lot, Dean got super jealous. Crazy how someone who claims to be so "lone wolf-ish" can get so upset over being replaced." He pauses. "Well, not replaced. I didn't replace Dean, but, you know."

"I know. Well, you better get in there, before John think's you've gone looking for Randy or something."

Roman chuckles. "Yeah, you're right. I'll talk to you later, Seth."

As Seth watches Roman walk away, he lets the Samoan's previous words sink into his head.

Dean gets jealous easily. Dean doesn't like getting replaced.

Maybe he could… No, it's not in Seth Rollins to use and manipulate someone. He doesn't know Randy, but he definitely seems nice enough. He won't use him. In fact, as Seth buckles himself up in his car, he decides that maybe he should give Randy a shot. Seth can't spend his whole life pinning after someone who doesn't even know how to be in a proper relationship. And he can't send off every guy to approach him just because he has this idea that Dean will come around one day. It's been a week, and Dean still won't even look at him.

Mind made, Seth pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials the number on the scrap of paper. It only takes a few rings for that smooth voice to sound at the other end of the line.

"Hello?"

"Randy?" Seth smiles into the phone, because this is so new to him and his nerves are making it hard to do anything else. "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to… go get some frozen yogurt? I didn't really eat much of it when you saw me last week."

Even though Seth can't see him, he can pretty much hear Randy smiling into the phone. "I'll be there in 10."

"Baaaabe, let me in."

It's almost been 2 whole minutes that Roman has knocked on John's door, and not even a peep from him. Roman grunts and knocks a little harder.

"John… John… John!"

"Roman? What's going on?"

Roman turns to see John's mother coming up the stairs. Evidently, she's home from work. He sighs and points to John's door. "Your son is mad at me."

John's mom grins at Roman once she's at the top of the staircase. "Whatever happened, I'm on your side."

Roman smiles at her. He loves how part of John's family he's always felt since he started dating him. They've welcomed him to the family with open arms, and John's parents have always treated him as if he was truly another one of their sons. Not to mention, John's little sister couldn't get enough of Roman. She loved nothing more than to sit on top of the couch wherever Roman was sitting and play with his long, black hair.

"I appreciate it, Ma."

"You staying for dinner?"

Roman glances at John's door. "If he lets me."

John's mom pounds a few times on his door. "Johnathan! Let Roman in the room!"

Suddenly, John's door swings open, and John glares at his mom. "Mom, that's not even my name and you obviously know that!"

She grins, and after patting Roman on the back a few times, begins walking in the direction of her own room. "Dean told me it's the best way to make you mad, so I thought I'd give it a try." She says over her shoulder.

The look on John's face makes it hard for Roman to keep a straight face.

"Wha- when did you talk to Dean? Mom!"

Her door closes, leaving only John and Roman standing alone in a now-awkward silence. John glances at him only for a second, before turning and walking back into his room. Roman sighs happily when he leaves the door open behind him. Roman follows him in and closes the door.

"Babe." Roman tries.

"I don't wanna talk about it." John grunts, sitting on his bed and picking up his phone. He's staring at it, but Roman knows that he's not actually doing anything on it. John's always been too nice and too polite to do anything like text while he's having a conversation with someone.

And that's what Roman's always loved about John. That no matter how mad he got at Roman, he would always try his best to never be truly mean or hurtful to him.

Roman crawls onto John's bed and plucks the phone from his hands, and then kisses his right one. And then the left. "We have to talk about it."

"No we don't."

"Johnathan-"

"I'm gunna kill Ambrose-"

"Baby boy, please talk to me." Roman pleads, knowing that it's time to buckle down and be serious. Because while he knows that John's being mad at him won't last long, he can't take another second of it.

John sighs. "I just… Randy's one of those guys that I've always kind of been… envious of, in the back of my mind. You know he wrestles at NXT, right?" Roman nods. "We started there at the same time, and our careers there have pretty much paralleled. I just can't seem to best him at anything. Everything I can do, he seems to be able to do it just as well, if not better." He takes Roman's hand into his own and rubs his thumb over the tanned knuckles. "But the one thing I have that he doesn't is you. And I just… I don't want him to have that too."

Roman's eye blow wide. "John, you can't be serious."

"I just-"

"No, John, you cannot be serious. Do you think that I could ever want him? Want anyone other than you? You may think that you two are evenly matched, but to me? John, no one could even touch you. You're perfect to me. Everything about you is absolutely perfect." When John looks down and away from him, Roman gently grasps his chin and lifts his head until their eyes met again. "I love you, John Cena, and I'm going to marry you one day. And we're going to live in a big house with lots of little kids and a dog, and you're gunna become a big-shot professional wrestler, just like we've always talked about. You and me. I wouldn't want that with anyone else."

John smiles, and sucks in a heavy breath as he tries to get his emotions under control. "I know. I don't know what came over me."

"I do. You get jealous easily, and that's okay. Because it reminds me of how much I mean to you. Just don't ever forget that you mean the same to me, okay?"

John nods and palms the back of Roman's head to bring him in for a long kiss. When it ends, the two rest their foreheads against each other's, and smile. They sit like that for a while, until John whispers, "I love you."

Roman pecks his lips, and whispers back, "I love you, too."

When the moment passes, John picks up his phone and actually does begin messing with it. As he does so, he absently asks, "So do you really think Seth will go for Randy?"

Roman shrugs. "I don't know. I guess it'd be nice for Seth to try dating, but I just kind of want him to end up with Dean, you know?" John looks up at him. "Don't you think they'd be so cute together?"

This time, John shrugs. "I don't know… I mean, I love the idea of Seth finally getting Dean to settle down. But I'm just so scared that Dean's gunna break his heart. You see how much he cares about Dean, and I think Dean really cares about Seth too, but he just doesn't know how to deal with it yet."

"But John, Seth is not our kid, we can't protect him from everything. I know it's your natural instinct to try, but we can't. We have to let them figure this all out for themselves, and honestly?" He smiles, "I think that they will."

John puts his phone down and instead occupies his hands with Roman's hair. "I hope they will. I think they'll be a cute couple."

"Not as cute as us."

"Oh, of course not."

Hey, don't worry about picking me up today. I'm catching a ride with someone else.

Dean is almost late to school because of the text. He sits on his bed and reads it over and over again, analyzing every part of it. Someone else? If he had caught a ride with John or Roman, he would have just said that, right? Who was this… this someone else?

And the more he thinks about it, the more irrational anger he feels swelling within him. The only thing that keeps him sane is the fact that he's never seen Seth talk to anyone outside of their little group, so he couldn't possibly be riding with someone who held the possibility of being a romantic interest for Seth.

Oh! Dean remembers that Seth has a project due in his science class today. And he was partners with that one girl… what was her name? Nikki or something. Or maybe he was partners with Brie? They were twins, so Dean's not sure. Maybe Seth and Nikki-or-Brie wanted to put some last touches on the project and bring it to school together? Yeah, he's 99% sure that's who Seth is riding with.

Feeling better about the whole situation, Dean grabs his keys, wallet, and backpack, and heads out the door. As he starts his car, he wonders who he's going to have to sleep with today to make him forget about that sinking feeling he got when he'd first read Seth's text.

"Yo, where's Seth?" Dean asks Roman as soon as he sees him. Roman gives him a funny look.

"You're looking for Seth? But aren't you guys kind of-"

With eyes darting all around the hallways, Dean barely answers, "Did he ride with you or John this morning? He didn't ride with me."

John speaks up then, "So? It's not like you even really talk to Seth anymore. Why does it matter who he rode to school with?"

Dean's head snaps in John's direction, and his face reddens as his fists clench. He takes a step towards John. "I don't give a fuck what you think, John. Why don't you stay the fuck out of my business."

John steps forward as well. "Or what, Dean?"

Roman's arms fly out to separate the two, and he is slightly frightened to find that he's barley able to do it. "Guys, calm down!" He whisper-yells. He then turns to Dean, whose face is burning with rage. "Calm down, Dean."

"Why do I have to calm down! Why don't you tell your precious fucking boyfriend to calm down!" Before Roman can answer, Dean goes on. "No, it's always Dean, isn't it? Dean's the screw up, Dean has anger management issues, Dean can't stop fucking things up with Seth, is that what it is!"

"Dean…" Roman says quietly, trying to get Dean's attention because right now, he isn't sure if Dean knows that he's crying or not. They're angry tears, of course, but angry tears born out of sadness and frustration, Roman's sure.

"Don't you think I feel bad about it? Do you really think I need you and him telling me what a horrible fucking person I am? Because I tell myself that every single day and…and…" He closes his eyes and tries to get his breathing under control. Dean knows that if he lets himself get anymore worked up, he's going to end up punching something, or someone, and he really doesn't want to screw up the friendship he's been slowly building with John (though he'd never admit that).

"Dean?"

The soft voice makes Dean's breath hitch. He turns around and throws himself into Seth's arms without any pretense. And he can't even begin to describe the sense of relief he feels when Seth hugs him tight, rather than pushing him away in disgust.

"I'm so sorry, Seth. I'm so sorry." He whispers into the younger's ear.

Seth smiles sadly, running his fingers through the hair at the nape of Dean's neck. "For what?" He whispers.

"I've been such a horrible friend. I'm sorry." After a brief pause, Dean sniffles a bit, then adds, "I miss you."

Seth pulls away just enough for him to be able to look into Dean's eyes. "I miss you too."

Dean returns the sad smile stretched across Seth's face. "Can you come over after school? So we can, you know… talk?"

Seth only feels the need to nod, before he pulls Dean back into the hug. A quick glance around reveals that John and Roman are long gone. He doesn't recall them leaving, but he couldn't care less. All he knows is that Dean is here and he's in his arms, whispering how sorry he is into his ear. Seth still doesn't understand what exactly Dean is sorry for, but he hopes that going to his house after school as asked will clear the air a bit.

But with that thought comes a rush of panic, because Seth has something that he needs to tell Dean as well.

When Seth gets to Dean's house, it's a little awkward at first. Neither boy knows whether they should jump right into their inevitable discussion, or if they should ease into it by doing something else first. When Dean suggests they play video games and order a pizza, Seth's shoulders release a bit of the tension they had been harboring.

Nervous giggles turn into laughs, and small talk turns into competitive yells. And as soon as the pizza arrives, it's as if the whole dynamic of Seth and Dean had never taken a pause.

A few hours roll by. The pizza is gone, the video game has become too repetitive, and both parties know that it's time to talk. Dean turns his PlayStation off and sits at the end of his bed and faces Seth, who's leaning against the headboard. It takes a while for their eyes to meet, but as soon as they do, Seth speaks.

"So, what exactly did you want to talk about?"

Dean can feel a bit of sweat gathering on his back, and he really doesn't understand why he's so nervous.

Because it's Seth, you idiot.

"I guess I don't really know, to be honest… I know I haven't been the best friend to you, and I wanted to explain myself, but now that you're here… I don't know if I can."

Seth crosses his arms over his chest. "Okay…" A minute passes, then a minute and a half. By two minutes, Seth grunts in frustration. "Dean."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Do you like me?"

Dean removes his eyes from Moxley sleeping in the corner and looks up at Seth. Seth's face is absolutely stoic, and it intimidates the hell out of Dean. He's never seen Seth look so serious. But then again, they've never had a conversation so serious. Dean knew that everything was going to hinge on what his next response was, and he gulped down the lump in his throat.

Of course he liked Seth, of course he did. Who wouldn't? He was nothing short of perfect to Dean. He had the kindest and most pure heart that Dean had ever had the pleasure of knowing. In a world where all he knew was darkness, loneliness, and disappointment, Seth provided a beam of light. And while Dean isn't typically scared of anything, he's terrified of this.

"Do you?"

"Yes, Seth. I do. Like you, I do like you." Dean rambles out, and his cheeks turn pink because of it. But the smile that is now gracing Seth's face makes it kind of worth it.

But when Seth crawls closer to him on the bed, Dean backs away with the little bit of room that's left on the end of it. Seth stops dead in his tracks, and any trace of that smile is long gone.

"Why are you lying to me?" Seth asks in a voice that sounds so broken, it almost makes himself jump.

Dean shakes his head. "I'm not."

"Then why did you back away from me like I… disgust you or something?"

"You don't disgust me, Seth."

"So what is it!" Seth demands. He can feel his resolve crumbling the more Dean toys with him. "You say that you like me, you almost kiss me that night by the pond, but now you won't even look at me. And I see you with all these other people all the time…" Seth averts his eyes, trying not to picture it. "I just don't get it." He looks back at Dean again. "I like you too, Dean. I really, really, really like you. Why can't we be together?"

"I wish I could be with you, Seth. You have no idea how much I wish I could just let go and be with you."

"So why can't you?"

Again, Dean doesn't answer. He lets his right leg fall to the ground and begins to bounce it.

"Is it because of the No Kissing rule?"

Dean bites his lip and after a while, he nods. "I can't be with you, because all I want to do when I'm around you is kiss you." He chuckles bitterly. "I've never even kissed anyone before. I don't even know what it feels like. So how could I possibly know that I want to kiss you? It doesn't make any sense."

Seth can assumes that Dean was speaking more to himself than to Seth, so he ignores the last part. "So why don't you? Why can't you kiss anyone?" Again, Dean doesn't answer, so again, Seth chances a few moves closer to him. He manages to get closer, and closer, until his knee is touching Dean's. When that doesn't scare Dean off, he moves his head closer, and closer, and closer.

"Kiss me, Dean. Please…"

Dean leans in, lips parted, his eyes on Seth's own pink and parted flesh. Oh god, they're wet from Seth's tongue darting out only seconds before. Their hot breath mingles between them, and Dean closes his eyes. Their lips are so close, it would only take a twitch from either one of them to bring their lips together. And Dean wants it. God, he actually wants it so damn badly.

Kissing means you love someone, Dean.

You're worthless. Just like your mother.

Dean's hands shoot out on their own accord, and he pushes Seth off of him just before their lips are about to touch. Seth looks at him wide-eyed, because Dean has never put his hands on him like that before. Dean didn't mean to push him so hard, but…

"Seth, I-"

"Forget it, I'm leaving."

Seth gathers his backpack from the floor and storms through the house. Dean somehow gathers enough sense to get up and go after him.

"Seth, where are you going?"

"What, like you want me here? Clearly you don't." Seth grabs the golden handle on the front door, but stops short of opening it. He turns around slowly, and meets Dean's eyes. "If you told me that you wanted me, wanted us, that would have been it. I would have dropped everything for you, Dean. I would have canceled my date tonight, because you're the only person I've ever wanted this badly."

Dean's blood runs cold at the word 'date'. He opens and closes his mouth like a fish out of water until he can actually manage to formulate words. "D-date? With who?"

Seth shakes his head, then opens the door. "Goodbye, Dean."

A/N: So real quick, I noticed a lot of typos in the last chapter so I'm sorry for that, and sorry if there are any in this chapter as well. My keyboard has been acting funny, so I'll get it checked out.

Title from the song Leaving Tonight by The Neighbourhood