Chapter 7

If Dean had any idea what heat was going to be like he would have chosen differently. He knew that, he told Sam that, and Sam was ignoring him, saying that he'd made a decision before he went into heat, and Sam was going to honour that decision. Dean cursed his past self.

He still understood all his reasons for not wanting to have sex with Sam during this heat. How they had a good thing going as platonic hunting partners, how he didn't want to screw up the balance they'd achieved, how he wasn't entirely comfortable with Sam and heat because of how he'd been claimed. All the reasons were still there. Dean just didn't think a day of feeling like this was worth it.

He was hyper aware of Sam. Every movement, every breath, stirred his inner omega to want desperately, and the barriers between himself and that inner omega were wearing away. He knew they'd be gone soon, and he'd go from trying to rationally tell Sam that he'd changed his mind to begging and trying to seduce the man.

And what the hell? He'd lived this long without heats, only to go into heat twice within a year. What was up with that? He'd pretty much resigned himself – he was jumping with joy to think – that something on one of his hunts might have screwed him up so much he was never going to get heats. Looks like he was wrong.

Sam was finding himself strangely glad he'd been in love with his brother for so long. It was a position on the matter that he'd never expected himself to be in. Honestly, to be thankful you had been in love with your brother who certainly didn't love you back? But in this case he was. It meant he'd had years of denying Dean to himself. They'd lived in each other's pockets, and he'd had years to get used to wanting Dean and not having him. He'd built up an incredible amount of self-control in the area. Which was good because all of that self-control was being used now.

They'd gone to a remote cabin – it was better to keep the scent of Dean's heat away from all alpha's unless Sam wanted to be fighting over him – which left Sam isolated with a Dean who was approaching being willing to beg him for sex.

Still, Sam liked this Dean. This Dean wasn't his brother but he liked many of the same things, reacted many of the same ways, had a similar sense of humour – not always a good thing. So while Sam wasn't allowing his love of his brother to transfer over to this Dean, this Dean was just about custom made to have him fall in love again. And Sam was determined not to screw things up with this Dean by being unable to control himself.

When Dean came back to himself, when the heat faded from his senses, he found himself handcuffed to the bed by his left hand. Whoever had done it had made sure to wrap his wrist in cloth beforehand, so there was no broken skin, but Dean would have a ring of bruises there when all was said and done. He had to wonder what exactly he'd done that had warranted being cuffed to the bed. Still, he was sane again now, so Dean began to search for something to pick the locks with, only to see the keys laid out on the bedside table. Well, now Dean was really worried about heats, apparently they hurt like hell when your alpha wouldn't help out, and they stripped away all thought higher than "I want to get fucked". It was the kind of vulnerable Dean never wanted to be, and the thought that it was forced on him by his own biology was rather chilling. Still, it seemed that Sam had kept his word, lingering memories of the heat assured him that he hadn't gotten fucked no matter how he'd begged – a fact that had his inner omega waffling between disappointment and self disgust, wondering what was wrong with him that he couldn't get his alpha to touch him like that.

By the time Dean had showered and dressed good smells were wafting up the stairs, so Dean went down in search of food.

The whole scene was eerily reminiscent of his first heat, complete with a completely tense Sam in the kitchen making him soup. Still, similar though the circumstances may have been the two experiences where completely different. After that first heat Dean had been borderline freaking out over what Sam wanted from him, this time Sam was actually someone he trusted to look after him when he couldn't do so himself. The contrast hit Dan like a smack up-side the head, and the disorientation of it was probably the only reason he mentioned how strange his heat cycle was.

"All my life without heats, and now two in a year... Maybe I pissed off a witch or something."

Dean had a point. Sam certainly hadn't researched the type system of this world much, but he has noticed that omegas tend to go into heat in their late teens. For Dean's heat to have only started now is very odd, but unfortunately with Sam's very lacking knowledge of omegas he has absolutely no idea why such a thing would happen.

"We should try to figure out what's going on. If it is caused by something supernatural then chances are the interference in your heats was not done with kindness. There may be much worse coming."

They've found nothing. They've researched creatures, and spells, and curses, and even pagan gods; but so far nothing would cause the strange timing of heats that Dean's been experiencing. It's leaving Sam frustrated and worried. They've searched everywhere they can think of, and Sam's on edge with the idea that there's something out there messing with Dean and he can't do anything about it, doesn't know what it is, can't protect this other world's version of his brother, can't protect his friend. His friend. Hell, is that what Dean is now? It seems like his heart has made the decision before his brain could even be involved. Well, friend it is, and Sam's lost too many friends already, he won't let anything put this one at risk. They've kept the investigation to themselves but it's obvious they aren't getting anywhere so Sam thinks it's time they asked someone for help.

It's no surprise Dean's opposed to the idea. He doesn't want to share the fact that he's omega with anyone he doesn't have to, but Sam convinces him by pointing out that they have no idea what's going to happen with his heats. They're pretty sure it's connected with hunting which would make John the most reasonable person to ask since he and Dean have been hunting together most of Dean's life. But with the way John reacted when he found out Dean was omega, neither really want to bring it up with him. They finally compromise on contacting Bobby. They will have to inform him that Dean's an omega, but he's pretty laid back for an alpha, and he might have an idea what all Dean and John have hunted.

Dean refuses to try and have this conversation over the phone so they pack their duffles and head to Sioux Falls.

Published: April 17, 2013