Dean pushed open the door to their apartment silently in the fear of waking Sam. He knew that John would be standing behind him rolling his eyes despite the how the man had just shown how much he actually cared for the boy.

The air in the apartment was still and chilly against their heated skin. It was dark and ominously quiet inside the small space. The hunters crept in noiselessly, feeling uncertain about the atmosphere. Maybe it was just hunter senses working overtime? The adrenaline rush was just beginning to fade making the men still partly jumpy and on edge.

John dumped the duffle bag onto the couch and ran a hand over his weary face, wincing when it came into contact with a bruise which was forming on his cheekbone. He longed for the warm embrace of his bed and the sleep that accompanied it. He busied himself, putting away weapons, getting changed and generally winding down.

It was nearly 6am and dawn had just begun to break but that didn't stop the older hunter getting ready to go back to bed. The night had been exhausting for everyone involved so they were all looking forward to getting rested.

After John had left, Dean crept into his room practically on tiptoes. There was no noise came from inside so he assumed that his boyfriend was getting some much needed sleep. He felt sorry for the boy but knew that everything would start to get better now.

It was while he was changing that Dean noticed that he couldn't actually see his boyfriend as he was under the mound of blankets on top of his long body. He'd tried to make himself as small as possible under the duvet which caused knots to form in Dean's stomach. The awkward teenager deserved better.

"Dean?" A small voice muttered. The voice shook as though he was fearful that it was not his boyfriend but in fact his own father.

Sam lifted the edge of his cover and peeked out from underneath. Watery eyes shone as they stared intently at the hunter. Dean suddenly felt extremely self conscious under the scrutiny and peered down at his body, dress in only pyjama pants. He covered his bare chest by loosely crossing his arms and gazing at the floor.

"Yeah, Sam?" Answering gently, he met Sam's gaze.

The was a brief pause as the slightly younger man swallowed, "I'm glad you're back." He knew that no words could convey his truth emotions but he hoped that Dean got the general idea.

"I missed you too," Dean's eyes shone with trust and love. He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, "Do you want me to sleep on the couch?" He scratched the back of his head.

They'd never slept in the same bed before; mainly because Sam would usually have to be home at a certain time and also, they'd never really came across the opportunity. As a result, Dean was unsure on where Sam would stand on them sharing especially considering the traumatic night he'd had. He really didn't want to make the other uncomfortable by assume that they'd share the bed.

Sam seemed to lean his head like a confused puppy before shifting back on the mattress to make more room. The space looked warm and welcoming after such a night but he still wanted to make sure that Sam wasn't just trying to make him happy.

"Are you sure?" The hunter inquired.

"I haven't been waiting for you for no reason so get in the bed." Sam smiled softly as a soft blush tinted his cheeks.

Grinning back, Dean slipped into the bed and tugged the blanket up to his chin to warm himself. The bed was already cosy and warm from Sam's body heat but he doubted that the other boy had actually slept much as dark circles haunted the skin beneath his eyes.

It felt strangely natural to feel Sam gradually uncurl from himself and stretch his arm out to hook over the hunter's torso. Gently, the injured man placed his head down against Dean's chest almost like he was scared of being told off for it. The older boy looped an arm under Sam's neck in a position that guaranteed a dead arm during the night but at that moment, he couldn't care.

Sam seemed distant as he settled closer to Dean while being cautious of his bruises. A deep sigh fell from his lips and, in an instant, the hunter knew that he'd been thinking about his father.

Dean started fiddling with the long strands of Sam's hair and ran his fingers through it a few times. It made the taller teen nearly purr in delight; nobody ever played with his hair despite it being the best feeling in the world. The small frame began to relax and sink into Dean's embrace as the hunters ministrations continued.

A content sigh broke from Sam's throat before he spoke, "Thank you, Dean."

Dean smiled gently, "Have you managed to get any sleep?" He asked.

Sam shook his head in the negative, "No, I told you that I was waiting for you... Besides, I was kinda worried and there were some... Memories." The pain cracked his voice.

Dean tightened his grip, reassuring the boy, "It's okay. You're safe now." He nussled his nose into Sam's hair, "There was no need to be worried, everything went okay." It dawned on Dean that it wasn't just him and John that Sam was concerned for.

"...What did you do to him?" He whispered as though he was afraid of the answer.

"We gave him a taste of his own medicine." He answered vaguely.

Sam's heart dropped, "Did you kill him?" He asked, scared.

"No! We never kill humans. It's kinda like a rule of ours. No matter how angry I was, we didn't kill him." He reassured Sam, "We just roughed him up a bit before leaving him for the police to find."

Relief flooded through the whole of Sam's thin body like a powerful wave. Dean noticed that he began to shake slightly but Sam didn't seem to notice. He swallowed the lump in his throat and breathed deeply in a calming manner. His father had hurt him, lied to him and manipulated him but deep down he still cared for the man. He'd helped to raise him. Although, Sam thought, maybe it's his influence still making me think like that. He didn't want to feel bad for his dad but his chest felt tight at the concept of him being brutally murdered in revenge.

"So the police have him?" The teenager asked timidly.

"Yep. We stuck around the area long enough to see them coming before hitting the road."

"You and your dad won't get into trouble, will you?" Concern colored his tone.

"No, not at all." He smiled at his boyfriend's warm heart, "We were very careful."

There was a beat of silence as both men replayed the nights events in their heads. Dean knew when Sam was thinking of the worst bits as a shiver would fall down the tall boy's spine. It was a few minutes later that one of them finally broke the companionable silence that'd stretched between them.

"... I don't know how I'll ever repay you." Sam whispered. He drew invisible patterns on Dean's firm stomach with gentle fingertips.

"You don't have to. It's our job to protect people." Dean murmured as exhaustion began to make him sleepy, "I want to protect you from anything. No matter what it is." His weariness stopped him from noticing the ultimate chick-flick moment that they were having, "I love you, Sam."

Dean let himself sink further into the mattress as he made himself more comfortable. His arm automatically kept Sam close almost as though he was made to fit beside him. With that thought, he began to drift off into a peaceful slumber.

The skinny boy bit his lip as his eyes stung and tears formed. He felt like he'd cried a few too many times today so stopped the tear from rolling down his cheek. Dean made him feel safe and accepted which was all he'd ever wanted.

Dean was already mostly asleep when Sam whispered, "I love you too, Dean." And pushed a kiss against his soft lips.

-J&N-

John was not a lovely-dovey kind of man and almost everyone that knew him, knew that fact. Hearts, rainbows and sprinkle coated kisses rarely, if ever, entered his life and up until this point he'd believed that Dean was more or less the same.

It had started as an accident more than anything else. John had woken up early considering their late night and had begun to cook breakfast. The experienced hunter lazily perused through the daily newspaper whilst wondering when he'd become so domesticated. For some unknown reason, it hadn't occurred to him that because Sam and Dean where dating they would share a bed. As a result, he had quite the shock upon opening his son's bedroom door to announce breakfast.

He froze, words stuck in his mouth, when he took in the sight of the boy's curled together in the bed. Limbs were strewn across the other's and bodies were pressed close, almost protectively. He briefly pondered whether the pressure of Dean's arm on Sam's ribs would be hurting the bruises. They were held so close together it seemed like they needed the skin contact more than air. John rolled his eyes at his own thoughts; he really was turning into a sap.

He needed to rouse the boys as breakfast of bacon and eggs was ready and basically sat waiting to be devoured. Nibbling his bottom lip, John steeled himself before knocking on the door awkwardly despite it actually being already open. Immediately, Sam's eyes shot open as he bolted upright and fear struck his features. It caused John's heart to constrict tightly. It took a moment for Sam to place himself but finally he realised that he was safe and his father was far away. Relief flooded the young man's face as he breathed to try and calm himself as he sat in the bed with blanket pooled on his lap.

Pretending not to notice Sam's freak out and to give him a little privacy, John knocked again and called his son's name. Dean began to stir.

"Go away." He mumbled and pulled Sam tighter to him body.

The youngest teenager blushed as his boyfriend tightened his grip on him whilst John watched with a raised eyebrow. Dean shuffled further down the bed and nussled his nose into Sam's sharp hip. His sleepiness was making him sappy and absorbed in himself.

Noticing that his boyfriend was sitting up, Dean tugged at his T-shirt to pull him back down onto the mattress, "No, Sammy. Sleep!" He moaned out tiredly.

"Dean." John said firmly to try and relieve Sam of his uncomfortableness, "I've made breakfast."

As soon as he'd finished his sentence the thin boy's stomach grumbled loudly. This made Dean peep open an eye and grin up at his boyfriend. He had now decided that it was his responsibility to get Sam all better, healthy and up to a proper weight. He wanted to care for him. And if to sweeten the pot, the smell of breakfast was simply mouth wateringly good.

"I think that means that we'll be coming now," The young hunter chuckled slightly making Sam blush more.

Less then 10 minutes later, all three men were gathered around the table with their breakfast in front of them. Sam's stomach had been grumbling every few minutes so Dean knew that the boy must be starving especially after such a long night. Little did he know that Sam had barely eaten anything in the last 24 hours.

Sam stared longingly at the food presented to him on the plate. He could feel his stomach clenching excitedly at the idea of nourishment. He nibbled at his lower lip as he waited for the other men to get seated and ready to eat. In moments like these, Sam really did have the patience of a saint.

"Go on! Eat up!" Mr Winchester encouraged with a feebly concealed smile.

With slim hands, the thin boy dug into the feast laid before him with a look of relief on his face. Stomach pains had began to bother him from not having ate anything. He didn't know whether the meal really was perfect or if he was simply too hungry to care.

Halfway through his breakfast, Sam stopped and peered around at the other two men sat around the table. He hesitated before speaking, "What are we going to do with me now?"

As you can tell, the story is coming to an end so there probably won't be many more chapters. X