Things had been better since Seth told them the news. Dean and Roman were at his house constantly. Dean's parents had gotten used to Dean always being out of the house. Even if they didn't know about the three teens' dynamic, they both knew how important Seth was to Dean. Roman's parents were pretty much the same, only Roman's mom would give him a knowing smile when he'd go rushing out the door with a wave and a dismissive call of "Seth's place!" Thank goodness for her and her ability to accept Roman, and what he did.

One text sent by Seth would have him practically smothered by the older boys. He took it gladly, not-so-surprisingly. He'd ask them to help him pack. Even if nobody liked doing it, and it sent a simultaneous pang through all of their hearts, they stomached it. Neither Roman nor Dean were willing to lose it in front of Seth. The poor kid was already losing it himself...

Roman and Dean knew something was different. When Seth had told them he was moving, he was alright at first. He had the assurance of Dean and Roman always being around. But, as time went on, he'd almost shrunken in on himself. He rarely ever tried to talk to them, he kept the physical contact to a minimum. He shied away from Roman's kisses. He wriggled out of Dean's embraces, and there were a lot of them. Roman had managed to hide his hurt. Seth was going through a lot, and he'd never been good at handling situations like the one he was in, so Roman was willing to put on a brave face for Seth's sake. Dean, not so much. You could practically see him deflate when Seth would scoot away from him. After about a week, Seth stopped inviting them over.

Dean still invited himself to Roman's.

"Did we do something wrong?" The blue-eyed boy asked, his voice doing nothing to hide how hurt he was.

"Absolutely not, Dean," Roman shook his head, wrapping an assuring hand around the back of Dean's neck. "He just needs space. He's got a lot going on."

Dean shuffled forward, resting his face on Roman's shoulder, his arms wrapping around the bigger teen's midsection. "I wanna help, Rome."

"I do too," Roman sighed and sat back against his headboard, bringing Dean with him. "I just don't want to make him uncomfortable."

Dean nuzzled a little further into Roman's neck. His hands slid around to rest on Roman's hips, his thumbs tucking under the hem of his worn t-shirt while his lips started leaving little kisses on his neck. Roman knew exactly what he was doing. Even before they started dating, Dean always had something for physical reassurance. A pat on the back, someone ruffling his hair. Since they'd all gotten a bit more serious, Dean's needs became a bit more than just a hand on his shoulder.

"Ambrose..."

"Roman, you know that I need this right now-"

Roman just grabbed him by the back of the head and kissed him. Dean made some choked noise in the back of this throat and wrapped his arms around Roman, practically clinging onto the older teen. Roman kissed him back calmly, capturing Dean's plump bottom lip between his own before releasing it, working over his lips like he'd been doing it for years. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to keep Dean grounded, keep him distracted. Even so, Dean was squirming around on Roman's lap.

"Fucking - off," Dean growled, pulling at Roman's shirt almost angrily.

So it was one of those days.

Roman almost immediately reacted, pulling his shirt off and throwing it on the ground. He quickly pushed his hands under Dean's shirt, tugging the garment off and throwing it somewhere in his room. Dean leaned forward and pressed his lips to the hollow of Roman's throat, earning a breathy moan and a tight-gripped hand in his hair.

"Lay down," Roman groaned. "You said you needed this."

Dean nodded and complied. Roman scooted between his legs, and he couldn't help but take a second to admire how good Dean looked. All toned, sinewy muscle under tan skin that had certainly got the best of summer. The older teen rested a hand on Dean's hip, the other next to his head, before leaning down and peppering Dean's neck and chest in soft kisses. Dean was twitching under him. Roman couldn't help but smile. He moved down a bit and - looking straight up into Dean's already half-lidded eyes - licked over a hardened pink nipple. Dean whimpered a bit and his back arched, but Roman continued his trip downwards. He kissed down Dean's stomach, all the way down to the waistband of his shorts. Roman had since removed his hand from Dean's hip, and Dean took that opportunity to arch his hips up towards Roman's face.

"Are you aware of what patience is?" Roman asked, another big hand coming to rest right on Dean's lower belly.

"Yes," Dean snapped, wriggling his hips in an attempt to get closer to Roman. "I just don't like it very much."

Roman rolled his eyes and went back to teasing Dean, paying extra close to those hip dents that Dean was oh-so-proud of. He even went so far as to leave a little mark. Dean wouldn't notice.

Dean's shorts were already slung low on his hips, so Roman didn't have to do much more than gently tug them down. The older teen could hear Dean as his breath caught. Smirking, Roman pressed a gentle kiss to the head of Dean's cock while he pulled his shorts the rest of the way down. A hand was tangled in Roman's hair, and the grey-eyed boy didn't hesitate to run his tongue along Dean's length.

"Fuck..." Dean breathed out, brows furrowing as Roman moved back up and started kissing his neck. "Rome-?"

There was some kind of shuffling, and a piece of fabric hit the ground. Dean belatedly realized that it was Roman's shorts. He gasped as Roman's big hand wrapped around both of their members, back arching involuntarily. Roman dropped down and rested on one elbow, his face pressed into the crook of Dean's neck while his hand continued to move at a leisurely pace. Dean grunted and strapped an arm over Roman's shoulders, canting his hips up towards Roman's hand.

"Stop it," Roman growled, stilling his hand altogether. Dean whined unashamedly, bucking up into Roman's fist. The older teen's grip loosened. "I can stop right now, Dean."

"Don't you fucking dare," Dean exclaimed, raising his other hand to tangle in Roman's hair and bring him in for a kiss.

Since when could a handjob be so intimate? Dean felt the blush spreading from his face and down to his neck and chest. He could've sworn it got darker when Roman pulled away from Dean's lips and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Dean moaned softly and nuzzled his face into Roman's neck. He felt the older teen's hair hanging around them like a curtain, those long, dark strands making Dean feel almost safe.

Roman's tantalizingly slow pace started to catch up to Dean, and he felt that tell-tale spring in his belly uncoiling. He was close, and Roman's grip was getting tighter, and fuck if he planned on holding off any longer.

"Rome, babe, fuck," Dean whimpered, his hand in Roman's hair tightening. "'m close..."

"Me too," Roman's voice had risen an octave, and it had Dean's heart racing. "C'mon, come with me."

It only took a few more pumps of Roman's hand, and Dean was coming all over both of their stomachs with a moan that he really should've tried to muffle. Roman came soon after, smart enough to bury his face in Dean's neck as he moaned through his climax. Roman dropped down, half of his body on Dean's. Dean didn't protest.

"Thank you," Dean finally said after he gained his breath.

Roman smiled and kissed Dean's cheek softly. "I gotta take care of my boy, right?"

Dean couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, you do," He said, carding a hand through Roman's hair. "But I have to take care of you, too."

"You already have."

"Mom, can I go meet up with Roman and Dean?"

Seth's mom raised an eyebrow, looking up from the box of China she had been bubble-wrapping. "You're going out?"

His heart sped up for a few seconds before he realized the real explanation behind the question. "Uh, yeah," Seth nodded. "They think it'd be good for me to get out of the house, y'know?"

She just nodded. Seth smiled softly and walked out the door, making his way down the walkway and half the block before he noticed Brie and Nikki's car. He climbed in the backseat without a word, pointedly ignoring the concerned look Nikki sent his way. He just wanted out. He didn't want to see Dean and Roman. He couldn't. As it was, Brie and Nikki would very likely castrate him after what he planned on telling them.

He'd texted Brie out of panic. He needed somebody to talk to, and he'd made it very clear that Roman and Dean were out of the question. Brie was the first person he thought of. She adored Roman when she was in high school and, in turn, adored Seth and Dean (more Seth than Dean; Dean preferred Nikki). Brie was easy to talk to, so Seth had always relied on her in moments when Roman and Dean weren't available. That's why Brie was so willing to be at Seth's house, with Nikki in tow.

They rode to the beach in silence, both twins letting Seth gather his bearings. It was a solid fifteen minutes before Seth actually spoke up.

"I can't."

"Can't what, Seth?" Nikki asked, placing a comforting hand on his back.

"I can't be with them anymore."

short chapter with a cliffhanger! how are brie and nikki gonna react? we're nearing the end of summer, folks! reviews are greatly appreciated.