Searching for Dean was not an easy task. Finn kicked himself on not asking Roman where the most likely spots Dean would be right now. Driving down the roads in the constant pouring rain, Finn's mind began to wander. He began to question what he had hoped to gain from asking Dean for help on what he knows and ultimately, what it meant for his case. All these doubts crawling into his mind had him thinking of Elias and how he failed on his own journey for the truth. Finn hated thinking back on the past. Thinking about his mistakes is what was causing him to punch the steering wheel in anger, reminding himself that he still had a job to do.
A voice in the back of his head was warning him that Dean would be going down the same road as Elias, if he wasn't careful. But as always, keeping those thoughts locked up was standard for Finn. He needed a drink. Pulling over, he took a few more sips from his flask, content with nothing but the sound of rain dripping on his windows. Finn didn't want to doubt himself so early in the investigation.
He closed his eyes and tried to relax. All he could see when he closed his eyes however, was Dean Ambrose. He recalled the last time he saw the man face to face. That man was so careless that he willingly entered a fight to have an unsatisfying conversation with a jackass. The way he needed help to bandage his own wounds. Despite all that...Finn had to admire Dean's determination. If he was as innocent as others say he is, maybe Finn would have to order him a drink as an apology for suspicion. He wondered how his cuts and bruises were healing up.
Getting out of the car with his umbrella, Finn figured he might as well finish his searching on foot. It was still busy at this hour so people still walked through the streets, regardless of the heavy rain pouring down. And that's when Finn spotted Dean walking in the opposite direction. Finn made the quick transition to 'accidentally' bump into him, causing Dean to almost fall backwards.
"Sorry, sir, I- Dean!" Finn faked his demeanor, not wanting Dean to catch onto his cover.
Dean looked at him for a second, trying to remember who he was, until his eyes lit up. "Hey, it's you. You're um….Fergal, right?"
Judging by the way Dean said it, Finn could tell he still didn't buy the false name. Still, he gave off a smile to him.
"Small world, bumping into you today. Nice to see that you're changing your bandages." Despite the slight teasing, a part of Finn was happy to see that he still had some sense of self care.
Dean scratched the bandage on his forehead in a sort of bashful way that Finn oddly found endearing.
"How'd the rest of your night at that place go?" He asks.
"Not really my thing in the end. What about you? You left me hanging with nothing but your first-aid kit last time we saw each other."
Dean frowns slightly. "Waste of time."
"Sorry to hear that. Especially after you fought like hell to meet your man of mystery."
There it was again. The expression Dean gave Finn like he was a complex puzzle he had to solve. Finn would never make himself so easy to see through but he had to wonder if Dean was always this suspicious of others. Looking closely at the other man himself, Finn could see there was a lack of sleep in him. No doubt from all the stress.
"So what's a guy like you doing out in weather like this, Fergal? Not heading off to anywhere important, I'm guessing."
"For your information, Mr. Ambrose, there's nothing wrong with taking a walk in the rain." Finn grins.
Dean's eyes widen and Finn doesn't know what sets that off as he looks away from the detective. He chuckles lightly at Finn's words and sighs.
"Right. Well, I was just out...getting something to eat. If you, um, wanna join me, feel free to."
Surprised by the offer, Finn fell silent for a moment. He was going to just wait for the best opportunity to guess where Dean was going to go next, but maybe this was another way that he can get one step ahead of his case. Finn was curious about Dean and wanted to know more.
"Are you asking me out to lunch with you, Dean?"
He shrugged with a sly smirk on his face and begins walking towards the diner across the street. "What can I say. You're an interesting character, Fergal."
Chuckling slightly at his words, Finn follows right behind him and out of the rain, unbeknownst of the car parked on the sidewalk with somebody snapping a photo of the pair.
When the two are settled in their seats, it takes a while for the two to familiarize themselves with each other before Finn breaks the awkward tension.
"You asked me what I was doing out today, but I never asked you."
Dean froze in place and Finn feared that maybe he overstepped a line. He had to be careful. He didn't want Dean suspecting him of being a detective playing nice.
"I'm just out wasting time, I guess you can say. I have a memorial service to go to tonight and didn't want to stay stuck in my apartment."
He didn't look Finn in the eyes but Finn could already see the sadness forming behind them. That's right. Finn recalled how Alexa came into the office to tell them that the body of the victim was already gone and headed to the morgue. Finn knew too well the pain that the man in front of him was going though.
"My apologies. I didn't know." That was a lie but it's all part of the investigation.
"It's fine. You asked and I gave you an answer."
"You're an honest man aren't you, Dean?"
"It helps to be one. You never know what kind of people can be lying right to your face."
Like the first time they met, their eyes met and Dean was once again searching Finn for answers. Finn felt himself getting caught in those eyes as well but not for the same reason as Dean. Swallowing hard, he's thankful for the server that comes their way.
Getting clues out of Dean was not as easy as he thought.
Not long after lunch, Finn had gotten a call from Charlotte to make it back to the station and judging by the tone of her voice, she wanted to have a talk with him. Driving back to the station though, his mind went back to Dean. The rest of their time together was quiet, the two of them just talking about certain interests and what they did in their spare time. Finn would occasionally look back at Dean when he didn't know it. Finn could tell he was becoming a little too intrigued with his suspect. If he could even call him that anymore.
Walking into Charlotte's office, he was met with a stern gaze from the Chief of Police. She looked upset with him, but there was nothing that Finn thought she should be upset about.
"Sit down, Finn."
"What's this about, Charlotte?"
"Detective Finn Balor, I know you have been occupied with your investigation and I am grateful for your help. Especially finding a certain...fighting circuit. But I have an addition to add to your case."
"Okay...what would you like me to do?"
She flipped through the papers on her desk but both Finn and Charlotte knew she wasn't actually reading them.
"Somebody else has probably let you know, but tomorrow morning is the funeral of the recent victim. I want you to go on a stakeout keeping an eye out on everyone there for anything sketchy. You know the drill. Sometimes these culprits are hiding in plain sight."
"Stakeout, huh? Well, who knows. Maybe I'll get even more than I got last time." He paused, noticing that Charlotte was expecting more. "Although...is this stakeout idea just so you can add on more suspicion on Dean Ambrose?"
Charlotte was unwavered by his response. There was nothing anyone in this department could say to the Chief that made her back down.
"Every lead counts. Unless you've found others we should be concerned about?"
"Working on it. But by what I've found, it doesn't seem likely that he should be labeled as such anymore."
He couldn't tell Charlotte right now what Dean was actually trying to do, worried that she would put a stop to it as soon as possible and Finn still needed to find out what Dean's next move was.
"Which brings me to my next point," Charlotte sighed. "Somebody from our station, I'm not naming who, spotted you earlier today in town with him. I hope you enjoyed your lunch." The sarcastic remark makes Finn frown.
Knowing this conversation can't go any further, he gets up from his seat and heads for the door. "I was trying to get close for my case. Nothing more."
"Just remember that this is still an active investigation, Detective. Don't let whatever emotions you're having for Ambrose get in the way."
Only nodding in response, he exits the office to find Seth waiting for him.
"You good? What'd she say?"
"I have to check out the funeral for the victim."
"And then? You look kinda upset."
Pulling out the flask when they're in their office, he exhales. "It's nothing. Except...did you see me run into Dean today?"
"What? No, I was working all day in here. You can ask Bayley. Why? What happened?"
Finn fell silent for the rest of the evening.
The funeral wasn't that crowded, which made Finn a bit sorrowful as the last few victims, including Elias's funeral, had much more people. But perhaps when most of the victim's family is gone, the only thing she had left was friends. He was hiding in his car the whole way, keeping a close eye, but nobody from the bunch stood out. At the front and center of the service, Finn could see Dean. His head was downcast most of the time, Roman there to wrap a comforting arm around his shoulders. Dean stood so still during the whole thing, others would have mistaken him for a statue.
Making sure he stayed hidden, he found out that Dean drove alone to the bar owned by Becky. Waiting almost an hour, Finn realized he wasn't going to come out and begrudgingly made his way inside. He was immediately met with a cold stare from Becky and the other two men at the bar, but Finn's eyes landed on Dean who was slumped over the counter with a half-empty glass in hand.
"Do I have to have Sheamus and Cesaro here escort you out?" Becky whispered through gritted teeth.
"Relax. I'm not here to arrest him."
Sitting beside him caused Dean to peek his head up, eyes softening at the sight of him. "Hey. What're you...what're you doing here?"
"I think we need to talk. But first I think we need to find somewhere more private."
Dean started chuckling to himself and Finn could smell the intoxicating, yet delicious smell of whiskey on his lips. Snap out of it, Finn thought. Dean was clearly buzzed from the alcohol.
"Talk to me about what? The fact that you're a fuckin' cop, Finn Balor?"
Finn sat in shocked silence at Dean, not knowing what to say. But Dean just kept that amused smile on his lips while waiting for Finn to say something.
"I-I….How did you-"
"Baby, I can read right through you. You must be new to this 'cover' thing or never tried it before because I knew from the day we met that Fergal wasn't your real name. And my best friend tells me everything. Yesterday when I came home, Roman asked me if I ran into a detective named Finn who was looking for me. When I asked him to describe what he looked like, well god damn, it was you. You wanna know what else? Yesterday you called me Ambrose and I don't recall ever telling you my last name. So...checkmate. Funny how you never popped into my life before the murder."
Finn never felt so bested and impressed at the same time. Every single time those blue eyes looked into his own, Dean was solving the mysteries of who Finn really was. And half of it was due to his own carelessness. A few months off from his profession left him more worse for wear than he thought.
"You...You're right. I am a detective. But I'm not your enemy, Dean. I needed to get close to you for a reason."
"Reason for what?"
Finn grabbed him by the wrist and led him to the unoccupied restroom, locking the door behind them as stepped closer to Dean, their bodies mere inches apart.
"All signs so far are proving to me that you're innocent, but my boss isn't convinced yet. I'm going to prove them wrong."
"And why do you care so much? Sounds like you're the only one of them I've met so far that actually wants to solve this."
"Because this is more than just a murder case to me!"
Fire burned behind Finn's eyes and it was quiet between them for a full minute before Dean grabbed him by the chin, forcing him to not look anywhere but into his eyes. Dean wanted to hear the full truth and he wasn't going to allow Finn to lie to him again. Finn's face felt warm with his touch and he could feel the heat rising in this cramped restroom.
"What do you want with me specifically then, Finn?"
The detective gently put his hand on Dean's wrist, but made no effort to remove his grasp. "I think you're the key I need to find the true killer once and for all. You know something I don't. Who exactly is Braun Strowman? What other shady characters are out there that I'm not aware of? How deep is this case really getting?"
Dean leans down, their noses now brushing slightly. "You tell me, detective. I know a few things but I'm in the same boat you are. But maybe we can find a common ground. If you're really on my side, let's work together."
"I...I'm working alone on this case, Dean."
"And I'm not one of your buddies at the police station either."
Finn looked down at his lips and closed his eyes. He was so tempted to lean forward and taste the hard liquor off of him. He didn't know what was happening to him. Finn barely knew this guy and he was already trapped in his mind and wouldn't get out. He opened his eyes to find Dean still there. If there was the best chance at solving this case, a temporary partnership was possible, hidden from the eyes of Charlotte and the rest of the department.
"Fuck it."
Finn couldn't stand the tension any longer and would have to apologize to Becky lest they were caught. He removed his hand from Dean's wrist and moved it slowly down to the crotch of Dean's pants where he began to rub against the fabric. Dean didn't seem to mind, instead pressing Finn in closer which made Finn all the more excited inside when he felt him get semi-hard. Removing the belt, he swiftly pulled the pants and boxer briefs down in one go.
"I think you've been stressed out for too long," Finn whispered roughly while giving one experimental stroke. "Let me help you relax." He received a groan in response.
Getting on his knees, Finn admired how erect he had made him. Giving a teasing lick at the tip of his cock, swirling his tongue and tasting precum. Finn liked the sounds coming from his lips and wanted to hear more. He wraps his lips around Dean's cock and he can feel him shudder, so Finn doesn't waste anymore time and takes the whole thing into his mouth until it hits the back of his throat. He begins bobbing his head at a quick pace and he can hear Dean gasp and stifle his moans, practically falling apart. Finn tries to suck and lick every inch, rubbing the rest of the base in his hand. A few more tentative licks at the tip and he feels Dean grab at his scalp. It's rough, but Finn doesn't complain.
"F-Finn-"
He knew that was a warning that Dean would cum soon if Finn didn't stop feeling so good. He pulls himself off his cock, a trace of saliva landing on his beard but he ignores it for now as he continues to stroke Dean to his release and soon he hears him let out a moan, cum spilling in his hand. And Finn is sure his own erection is obvious to catch at this point. The air is hot between them and Finn isn't sure what to say, still overtaken by lust.
"So working together...I'll take that as a yes?
Finn couldn't help but laugh and nod as he was helped onto his feet. He was prepared to have some more fun before he hears his phone go off and checks to see that it's Charlotte calling him. Dean just grins at him when it's apparent that Finn doesn't want to leave just yet.
"You better go and see what they want, detective."