Bobby shook his head and tried to hide his amusement when Sam picked up all the things he'd bought for Nick and stuffed them back in the bags in a haste.

"I bring them upstairs." He announced, already on his way out of the room. "You can try them on later."

"Thanks, Sam." Nick said.

Bobby had only heard a few words out of this young man's mouth and it was strange to hear an unfamiliar voice in his house. But Nick was part of Dean's life and as such part of Sam's life as well and that made him part of Bobby's life. The boys were family and Bobby had no intention to change that any time soon. Maybe it was because Dean hadn't told him about Nick but Bobby was determined to show that he was okay with the situation.

"So, what were you two up to while Sam and I were out?" Bobby sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk and gestured for Nick to stay where he was. Nick had already jumped half out of his chair and only plopped down after an encouraging nod from Dean.

"Gave Nick a little 101 on monsters." Dean put the box with the few remaining donuts aside and wiped powdered sugar from an old manuscript Bobby had been working on. Wincing inwardly Bobby kept his mouth shut, he didn't want to risk another meltdown by snarling at Dean in front of Nick.

"Nick asked about succubitches."

Okay, that he could work with. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything." Nick answered with a shy smile and a hard look in his eyes. For a second he reminded Bobby of a young John Winchester all those years ago. Every hunter had his story, maybe this was Nick's. He hoped not but this was not his decision to make.

"Alright." Bobby said but threw a glance in Dean's direction to figure out what he thought about this. Dean made a go ahead gesture and then knocked himself out with a car magazine.

Mentally Bobby went through his books, searching for a Succubi for Dummies as a start. They could build up from there. He doubted Nick could read Latin but he had a few translations of the medieval bestiaries which mentioned succubi.

At first Nick just listened to Bobby's explanations and read quietly the texts Bobby gave him. During all that Dean never left Nick's side. Their legs touched in a way that could be accidentally but wasn't and from time to time Nick looked up from his book as if he wanted to make sure that Dean was still there. And to Bobby's surprise Dean just sat there with his magazine and didn't bolt like he usually did when Bobby got the books out.

After a while Nick seemed to warm up to Bobby, though. He started to ask questions on his own.

"What does this mean?" Nick pointed at the line he didn't understand and read it aloud. "The succubus is known to whisper to a man's mind?"

"That refers to their ability to place suggestions in your head." Bobby explained. "You could say it's a kind of hypnosis. She influenced your landlord that way. Now he swears up and down that he never saw her. Only you leaving the crime scene." Bobby chose his words carefully, aware that they were on the same thin ice once again. "That's how she left that message for Dean, too." He added to get Nick's mind off his dead friend. Which was a mistake.

"What message?" Nick tried to play it cool but Bobby saw the panic flicker in his eyes.

"She said." Dean put the magazine down he hadn't been as engrossed in as it had seemed. "That now she has broken you, we're even."

Bobby wasn't sure if it was the right move to tell Nick the complete message and for a moment Nick clearly fought with his emotions but then he set his jaw and his eyes went cold.

"She didn't break me."

"That's my boy." Dean said with pride and Nick kicked his shin.

Watching them Bobby sat back with a smile. Nick showed some very familiar characteristics, no wonder he got along with the Winchester brothers so well.

After that the ice seemed to be broken. Nick came alive and before he knew it books piled on the desk and Bobby was in a deep discussion with this bright young man. Nick lacked knowledge of the supernatural but he drew the right conclusions on his own and Bobby had to admit that Nick's fresh view on some things lead him to some questions Bobby hadn't thought of before.

During all this Dean sat quietly with them and pretended to read his magazine but kept a watchful eye on Nick. He stayed until Sam took his place. Nick didn't even seem to notice that his leg wasn't pressed against Dean's anymore, he leaned equally comfortable on Sam.

"Dinner is ready." Dean yelled from the kitchen. Surprised Bobby looked up from the article they had been discussing to find that it had become dark by now. At some point Dean must have switched the lights on without him noticing.

They followed the aroma of warmed up chili, that's how it tastes the best anyway, to the kitchen where Dean had set the table and was busy slicing bread. Neither of them had eaten since breakfast, if he didn't count the donuts, so Bobby's stomach wasn't the only one grumbling in anticipation.

Nick sat between Sam and Dean, where he seemed to be most comfortable, and for the first time he actually ate with appetite. They had the last four donuts for dessert and by then Nick was blinking sluggishly against his dropping eyelids.

"Okay, buddy. Time for bed." Dean helped Nick to his feet who didn't protest and leaned heavily on Dean instead.

Bobby watched them as they made their way out of the kitchen, both moving a little stiff and slower than they should at their age.

"Looks like they left us the dishes." Bobby observed but had no intention to do something about the dirty dishes on the table and in the sink at the moment.

Sam hmmed and didn't move either.

"Nick is a brilliant young man." Bobby said into the silence. During the afternoon Nick had let slip that he hadn't finished school and Bobby couldn't help but wonder what had led to that. How did a boy like Nick end up as a prostitute?

The same way somebody ends up as a hunter, he guessed with a sigh. Life happened.

"He is." Sam answered with a delay, caught up in his own thoughts.

"Don't get me wrong, Nick can stay as long as he wants. I'm happy to have you all here." Bobby emphasized the last part. "But that's not a long-term solution."

"I know." Sam stood up and let water in the sink.

"You've seen him earlier. How he soaked it all up. He's already on his way to become a hunter." Bobby carried the plates over and dropped them in the soapy water. He didn't mention how much Nick reminded him of John.

"I know." Sam repeated. "But it's his decision."

"I'm just saying that he should know he has options." Bobby took the first plate and dried it off. "Right now it may look to him like it's either going back to what he did before." He didn't want to think too closely about how this nice young man offered himself to strangers. "Or taking his place in the back seat of the Impala as a hunter in training."

If he was honest Bobby couldn't think of any other options at the moment but he didn't know Nick as well as Sam did. He couldn't quite picture Nick as a waiter or something like that, though.

"How about we let him come around first before we think about that?" Sam suggested. "Have you heard anything about that succubus? I'd really like to get my hands on that bitch."

Usually Sam wasn't the Winchester who was prone to going ballistic but now there was murder in his eyes. But the succubus had had her hands on Dean and Nick so far and Bobby wouldn't mind getting his hands on her either.

"I have my ears out." He answered and wiped his hands. "So far nothing."

They settled down in the study, each of them with a beer and a book, because it was far too early to turn in. However, there was only silence from upstairs so Bobby guessed Dean and Nick were both asleep by now.

"You and Nick get along quite well." Bobby broke the silence after a while.

"Guess so." Sam looked up from his book, his expression carefully guarded. "Why?"

"I don't want to pry about thinks I have no business with." Bobby said, not sure how to phrase his question. "But wasn't it weird at first? I mean when Dean brought Nick home the first times."

The times Dean had paid. Which led to the question if Dean brought hookers back home often. Male hookers. How long had Sam known that Dean liked men? Did Dean know that Sam wasn't averse to men either? Did they even share a hooker at times?

At that point Bobby forced himself to jump off that train of thoughts. It went to places he absolutely didn't want to go.

"Dunno." Sam shrugged at Bobby's question. "We all kinda grew into it." He closed his book but marked the page with his finger. "What about you? Isn't it weird for you? Dean and Nick and what Adela blurted out about me?"

"To be honest, I would have never pictured Dean The Lady's Man Winchester going steady with another man." Bobby admitted. "But where is this coming from that you and Dean both think that I won't be okay with it? I don't get it. Have I ever said something? Did something?" This question had been gnawing at him since he'd found out about Nick.

"Is it because of what Nick does for a living?" Because that was the closest thing to an explanation he had come up so far. But hunters lived at the outskirts of society anyway so was it really a surprise that Dean had found Nick there?

"It's not that." Now Sam seemed really uncomfortable.

"What is it then?" Slowly Bobby was losing his patience. "Because I can't repeat myself more often. I don't care who you love, man, woman, it doesn't matter as long as you're happy."

There was a flicker in Sam's eyes as if he wanted to disagree but then he let out a sigh.

"I guess it just never really came up." Sam finally answered. "And we never thought that you wouldn't be okay with this. You wouldn't kick us out for this."

There was a deeper meaning behind these words, that much was clear and not for the first time this day Bobby thought about John Winchester. Dean and Nick hadn't been together when he'd still been alive but Bobby doubted this was Dean's first time with a man. And Sam most likely had experiences with men as well. How would John have reacted to one or even two of his sons coming out to him? Not good, Bobby guessed.

That explained a lot and Bobby wanted to kick himself for not making this connection sooner. He still wished that Dean would have told him but he got it now.