A/N: Sorry for the short updates, but I had an awkwardly long chapter to split up. Hopefully some longer chapters in the future.

XXX

Playing house seemed to dissipate the heat that had built up between them in the bar. For over a week, as they fell into routines of cooking and housework and hanging out, the tension broke between them. She didn't feel flustered around him anymore, she felt like she only had to be his friend. It was nice to get back there after freaking herself over thinking about him. They sat on the couch for hours when she got home from work, watching ESPN and playing multiplayer games.

He was a good friend, she probably shortchanged him most of the time. When he wasn't around all the time, it could be easy to forget that he cared. But now he sat across from her and listened to her tell him the mundane details of her day. After a few days, she realized he actually wanted to know. So she told him all about it, he weirdly loved to hear about the little details, the production meetings, and research scouts. Maybe it was that it was so different than the life he lived on the road. He listened carefully as she told him about how their budgets got cut, again, and how their podcast had gotten outmatched by a more established station.

Renee wasn't really sure how she was supposed to be approaching his concussion, but let him handle it for himself. He seemed quiet, even sad, when they watched WWE throughout the week, but she didn't feel like it was her place to tell him he shouldn't.

Friday night, she wandered around a network party to celebrate the acquisition of a new channel. They'd been after it for a long time, though mergers always seemed more like divorces than a marriage. She sipped on her champagne, her eyes scanning the room. It was too loud and too crowded, but she had to make an appearance, at least for a little while. At least the food was great.

A hand fell on the small of her back and she turned suddenly. It was met with a little half smile and bright blue eyes.

"Hi there,"

"Hey Brad, how are ya?" she smiled up at him.

"Better now. How've you been? You look great, as usual."

Renee blushed as she looked down at the black bodycon dress that dipped low on her neckline.

"I've been good, work must be crazy."

"Oh god, it's a nightmare," he chuckled, "honestly, I could use a break in a major way."

"A break? That sounds nice."

"Doesn't it?"

XXX

A few drinks and a cab ride later, Renee unlocked the door of the duplex, Brad with a hand on her hip.

"Home sweet home," she smiled, "you want another glass? I think we've got some Chardonnay back in here."

"Sure," he put his coat down on the back of an island stool, looking around the apartment. "No roommate tonight?"

"He's out of town," she glanced over her shoulder grabbing two glasses from the cabinets, "place to ourselves."

"Lucky us," he watched her pour a glass and hand it over to him, "can't believe you live here."

"Yeah, it's gorgeous," she led him to the couch and flopped down on it, glad to kick off her heels.

"How do you afford it?"

"Sorry?"

He gave her a look, "I work in the finance department, Renee,"

"You're saying you know my salary?"

"I'm saying I know what someone in your department at your experience level makes. You're not paying rent, are you?"

"That's not true!" she said defensively, "he owns the place he can charge me whatever he decides."

"And he decides not to charge you much at all?"

"What're you getting at?"

"Forget it. Cheers?"

"Yeah alright," she took a long swig of the wine, he was cuter when he wasn't speaking.

He draped an arm around her and turned the conversation to something light, appeasing her with some sports talk. They were just finishing up their drinks, his hands starting to flirt with the hem of her skirt and whispering softly to each other. She heard the key in the door and sat up, looking over at the door, and could hear Brad sigh loudly as the door opened and Dean came through in his leather jacket.

"Hey!"

"Uh hey there, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."

"That's alright," Renee answered for the two of them.

He eyed brad for a moment before offering his hand, "Dean,"

"Hey, good to meet you. Nice place."

"Thanks," he chuckled.

"So how'd it go?" Renee interrupted the pleasantries.

The corners of his mouth turned up, "Stamford cleared me."

"Really? That's great! I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, I get back for Monday so, not too shabby."

"Not at all."

"I'll uh, I'll give you two some privacy. I'll be up in my room…making no noise…pretending I don't exist," he grinned at her and Renee rolled her eyes but laughed.

He reached the top of the stairs, obscured from their view, and leaned his head against the hardwood door. It was still giving him a bit of a headache, but in fairness, maybe that was seeing Renee down there with another guy. The same another guy, he was pretty sure. Brad's sharp jawline and dusty blonde hair matched her description of him from last time. Dean took a deep breath, unsure of why he was even still standing there, and opened the door when the shouting started.

"I don't even know what you're talking about!" Renee's voice was sharp and pained, it made him pause and look down to the shadows below.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that, babe,"

"Maybe you could try telling me why you're upset."

"You know exactly what's going on here, just as well as I do!"

"So tell me, what is going on here?"

"You're stringing me along, that's what."

"That's absurd."

"Is it? Cause every time I come around here your attention gets diverted by Hulk Hogan up there."

"Well excuse me for having a roommate, a friend, god forbid."

"Friends? You expect me to believe that while you're living in his love nest free of charge?"

"That's not even your business."

"Yeah, well I'd like it to be mine."

He heard her scoff, and could almost see the tears welling in her eyes.

"That's a real shit way to ask a girl out, I think you should know."

"At least I'm being honest. You know what your problem is, Renee?"

"Oh, I think you're about to tell me."

"You're full of shit. And you think if you bullshit everyone enough it'll become true. Well that's not how it works and that's the reason why you can't get a second date, why your stupid podcast got scrapped for legal budgets, and why you're always gonna be alone."

Silence.

Dean backed up for a beat, trying to will himself to go back inside, let her handle it, not get involved. But then he heard her voice, small like a mouse, the last thing he'd ever associated with her.

"I think you should go now."

"Yeah, well, fuck this."

That was it, his feet carried him so fast as he ran down the stairs, two at a time. They were both surprised to see him as he grabbed the color of Brad's pressed white dress shirt.

"Time to go, buddy,"

"Typical," he scowled as Dean dragged him towards the door.

"C'mon, that's it, one foot in front of the other, really not that complicated."

"My jacket!"

Dean reached his hand out to her, his grip on the other hand tightening as his knuckles turned white. She tossed him the silk sports coat and he shoved it at Brad as he pushed him out the door.

"Thanks for playing," slamming the door in his face, Dean sighed. Sheepishly, he looked back at Renee, stunned and red-eyed. "Sorry."

"Sorry?"

"Probably should've gotten in the middle there… you alright?"

"I'm…I'm fine," she crossed her arms over her chest, looking away.

"Did he put his hands on you?"

"What?" she looked back at him, letting out a breath of air that seemed to have been trapped inside her lungs. "No, no it's okay. Even if he did, what were you going to do?"

"What, you think I'm above tracking him down?" he smiled and she laughed through sniffles. "No way he can outrun me."

"Well. Thanks."

"Anytime," he nodded at her and started back up the stairs before pausing and looking back. "I'm guessing Bieber didn't bother telling you,"

"What?"

"You look really beautiful tonight."

"Oh," she blushed, not meeting his gaze.

"Just thought you should know."

XXX

It was weird for him, being back. He wasn't gone long, but everyone always acted like you were on your death bed and came back. Dean smiled as people greeted him or told him that Seth was a jerk. That much they could agree on.

In catering, Dean found himself scanning the tables, looking for somewhere friendly to sit that wouldn't bug him about Seth. Everyone seem divided into team Seth or team Dean and the drama was driving him up a wall. He spotted Daniel with the twins and bee-lined to them, past Kane and J&J security.

"You guys mind?"

"No! Of course!" Brie scooted over and offered him the chair next to her.

"Thanks, how're you?"

"Good, Daniel's recovering well," she moved a piece of hair behind his ear and Nikki laughed.

"They're sickening, aren't they?"

Dean chuckled, "I'll survive."

"So we heard you were prince charming the other day," Brie changed the subject.

"Prince charming?" Daniel asked, playing with the engagement ring on Brie's hand.

"Renee was handling the situation just fine, I didn't need to get involved, she would've kicked him out herself."

"But you did get involved," Nikki pointed out, "and threw him out."

"By the collar."

"Listen, you come into my house and disrespect my best friend like that? Yeah, we're gonna have a problem."

"Your best friend?"

"Yeah, I mean…why? Does she not really think of me that way?"

"I wouldn't know," Brie shrugged.

"She's my best friend. I wasn't going to let him…" he shook his head, "I wasn't gonna let him get away with that."

"I'm sure she appreciated it."

"I just care about her being safe."