A/N: I was at about 1,700 words for several days before I suddenly got inspired earlier this evening. So, here's the chapter, and it's a bit longer than the recent ones! I've been pretty disappointed with the lengths despite people saying it's fine so I'm glad I wrote a bit more than usual.

I hope you enjoy it!

I'll Save You

Chapter Five - Believing

Dean had to pull away eventually, though his hands rested on either side of Seth's face before he pulled away completely. He sighed, mainly out of relief, before he helped the younger boy up off the wet ground. His hand lingered for a moment while he held the back of Seth's wrist, breathing in a sharp intake of breath when he looked over the cuts that lingered on the inside.

"I… I didn't want you to find me dead," Seth whispered, startling Dean as he didn't expect him to speak. "So I didn't go as deeper as I planned and… And I came here."

The words hurt Dean's heart. Even at the moment he wanted to take his own life, he still managed to at least make sure that it wouldn't have been Dean who had found his body. There was never a moment where Seth wasn't even just the tiniest bit thoughtful. Such a caring person didn't deserve even a fraction of this pain.

"Come on, we need to get you dry and cleaned up."

Seth nodded, though after a minute of walking, Dean had no choice but to wrap a supportive arm around Seth's shoulders. He was simply far too exhausted to be able to walk on his own. Luckily, Dean's house wasn't very far away, and it didn't take them very long to get there.

Once they entered, Dean quickly grabbed a towel from the cupboard and handed it to Seth, who immediately wrapped it around his shoulders.

"Wait here, you need some dry clothes."

The best thing would have been for him to just have a shower – that was Dean's own plan – but he wasn't even sure if Seth's legs had the energy to keep him standing. So he quickly grabbed Seth's nightclothes from his room, and headed back down the stairs to hand them to him.

"I'm going to go and get you some bandages and a cup of tea, so you can change while I'm gone."

It didn't take very long for Dean to do just that, so he made sure to call through the door to see if Seth had changed. The last thing Dean wanted was to walk in on Seth while he wasn't decent. God knows how badly that might affect him.

"I need to clean these up for you," he said as he sat down on the sofa next to Seth. He gently held onto the back of Seth's wrist, and reached into his first aid kit with his other hand. Seth flinched slightly when the tissue pressed against the skin, but aside from that, he stayed completely still. He didn't flinch at all during the process on his second wrist. A few minutes later, they were both wrapped in bandages.

"There we are," Dean smiled.

"Thank you," Seth said quietly before he had a few sips of his tea. Dean could tell from simply his voice that his tiredness hadn't reduced one bit.

"You need to get some sleep," he said. He spoke again just as Seth nodded and placed his hands on the sofa either side of him to push himself up. "You can just sleep down here if it makes it easier for you."

Seth nodded, and by the time Dean had gone to fetch some blankets from the hallway, he had already fallen fast asleep. Dean gently placed the blankets over him, careful not to wake him. A fond smile was on his face the whole time.

It wasn't very surprising how much Seth had grown on Dean in such a short time. It was rare to find someone as caring as him nowadays, especially for someone who had been through that much at a young age. A lot of teenagers in his position would have gone down a worse path, possibly drugs. Even if Dean hadn't found him, he doubted that Seth would ever do something like that. It just didn't seem like the kind of thing he would choose to do. Though Dean didn't want to think of what could have happened if he hadn't noticed Seth on that bench. He would never simply walk past someone clearly in need like that, and yet, what if that's what he had done? He shuddered, and quickly discarded the thought. There was no need to think about things like that when Seth was alive, perhaps not well, but still alive, on Dean's sofa.

Dean was restless, however, the rest of the night. Though he knew Seth would be perfectly okay while he was sleeping, he still didn't like the thought of going upstairs to sleep and so leave Seth downstairs on his own. He probably wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway. So he, instead, settled down in an armchair, listening to music on his phone. It wasn't enough to distract him from the thoughts racing through his head.

The one thing he wanted – apart from Seth to find happiness, of course – was to make Randy suffer. As much of a good person Dean was, or at least tried to be, he could also be quite vengeful. That one punch hadn't been enough in the supermarket. He wanted more. One punch was barely anything compared to everything Randy had done. Dean didn't even know the full extent of that. But what he did know was enough to make his fists clench as he gritted his teeth angrily. He wanted to pummel Randy to ground, beat him until he begged for mercy before, if Dean was even that merciful, he let him rot in a prison cell.

Just as he started to find satisfaction in imagining several ways he could kill Randy, he heard the front door open and close. He pulled out the earphones in his ears as Roman walked round the doorway, and nodded at Seth.

"We'll go into the kitchen," Dean said quietly when Roman looked at Seth questioningly. The man nodded, and made his way through the hallway to the kitchen, Dean close behind him. He turned around to look at Dean when they were both in the room.

"Why is Seth not in his room? Is he just tired after what happened today?"

"Well, sort of," Dean replied, sitting down on one of the kitchen stools. Roman did the same. "So obviously he was still shaken up after you left for work. Well, while I was shaving in the bathroom, he read a message from Randy. It made him completely worse – I could see why. He thought that the only way after that was… Well, suicide. He cut both of his wrists, but he didn't want me to find him dead. So he went to that bridge a few minutes away. It's lucky I found him in time."

"Holy shit…" Roman said, brushing back his hair. "I'm sorry Dean, if I-"

"There's no need to apologise," Dean interrupted quickly. "You had to go to work. One of us has to."

"So I'm guessing that the whole ordeal made him more exhausted?"

"Naturally. I said to him that he could sleep there, if it made it easier for him. He had already fallen asleep by the time I had come back with the blankets."

Dean sighed, placing his head into his hands.

"I want to fucking kill him, Roman, I really do. Or at least hurt him. Immensely."

"Both you and I know that you can't," Roman said calmly. "Not only would you find yourself with a not-so-pleasant prison sentence, Seth probably doesn't want you to do anything like that for him. The only thing you can do for him is do what you've so far; be there for him. Don't do anything more than that."

"I'm not saying that I will. I just want to."

"But sometimes you're not very good at resisting doing the things you want to do. I'm your friend, sure, but I'm not going to deny that you've often done things you've regretted because you can't always control your anger. This would be one of those things."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You don't need to lecture me."

"Apparently I do," Roman sighed, resting his hands on the back of his head. "If it wasn't for me, you would have ended up diving at the man to beat him to a pulp if you came across him in public. I'm making you see sense."

"I do see sense. You just put it into wise words for me."

"Exactly," Roman chuckled.

"God, I hate it when you're right."

"I know."

"Can I at least hit him once more? Please? Only if I had to, of course," Dean pleaded, the last sentence rushed.

"No."

"Please?"

"Maybe."

"Come on, Roman, I'm not talking about killing the guy! Just about using violence. If I have to."

"If you have to, but that's it."

"Good," Dean said, satisfied. "One bruise wasn't enough. He deserves more than that."

"I can't disagree with that. If anything, though, calling the police would be the best idea."

"I know, I've already considered that. But I don't want to call them if Seth doesn't want me to. If he doesn't want to tell them what's happened, then he doesn't have to. I don't want to pressure him into doing something he doesn't want to do."

Though he didn't exactly know why Seth was against the idea of getting the police involved. Randy would be locked way behind bars, unable to harm anyone else, where he belongs. Dean guessed that fear was mainly behind it. Perhaps Seth was convinced that Randy would hurt him if he tried to do anything like that, or even that the police wouldn't listen to him. As much as Dean wanted to go to them, he was sure Seth had his reasons for not wanting to do so himself. He wouldn't ever question Seth's reasons.

"That's perfectly understandable," Roman said, nodding. He chuckled when Dean then yawned loudly. "You need to go to bed yourself."

"But I don't want to leave-"

"Come on, Seth will be fine. You're usually awake before him anyway."

Dean sighed, but didn't bother to protest. This whole ordeal did leave him feeling fairly tired himself. But, when he was finally in bed, it took hours for him to actually sleep. This whole situation with Randy and Seth had become the main thing he wanted to solve in his life – if he could say that it was a part of his now. He wasn't just helping Seth out by giving him a place to live, now. He had become so emotionally invested that there was no possible way he could go back without helping Seth completely.

Seth woke the next morning with a slightly stiff neck. He winced as he sat up, remembering that he had fallen asleep on the couch the previous night. A small smile grew on his face when he noticed the blankets Dean must have covered him with after he fell asleep, though it faltered when he looked down at his bandaged wrists. He thought he had completely lost his mind last night. Randy's text made him feel like he wasn't his own person; he was Randy's property, and that's it. The man had given Seth a place to live when he had no one else to turn to. That was something which had previously made Seth believe that Randy had every right to do what he wished with him.

But if that was true, then why wasn't Dean the same way? It was the same situation; Dean had given Seth a home when he had nowhere else to go. The only difference was that they weren't together. To anyone else, it was obvious that Randy was the person in the wrong, that the reason Dean didn't do anything like Randy was because he was simply a much better person. Seth, however, was only slowly starting to believe this. But, the effect the verbal abuse had on him seemed to be slowly disappearing. It seemed as though, despite what he had done last night, that he was beginning to see that he did have a life outside of his trapped months with Randy. Which was why he was able to give Dean a genuine smile when he entered the room, a cup of coffee in his hands.

"Good morning," Dean greeted, returning the smile. It was obvious that he was relieved that Seth had managed to do something so small, yet took so much strength when someone was as hurt as he was. "I wasn't expecting you to be awake as early as you are."

"Well, sofas aren't exactly as comfortable as beds," Seth chuckled.

"That's true," Dean agreed, and sat down next to him after he placed his mug down on the table. "You seem to be feeling a lot better this morning."

"I am, definitely."

"I'm very glad. I was so worried about you last night."

"I'm sorry that-"

"There's no need to apologise," Dean interrupted. "It's completely understandable after all you've been through. I'm just… I'm just so glad I reached you in time. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if your life ended that way."

"It wouldn't have been your fault, though."

"But I would have still felt awful about it. I wouldn't have done what I've wanted to do since I found you, and that's help you."

"I'm so thankful for that, I really am. Helping me, I mean. You've done so much more than you've probably realised."

"I'm glad," Dean smiled. "I'm just happy to see you a whole lot better than last night."

"It's because… Well, I..."

"What is it?"

"Up until now, I haven't properly believed that I am actually a person with their own life. I've had this mindset that because Randy helped me on my birthday and gave me a home, I was basically his and he could do what he liked. I didn't believe that at first, of course, but the amount of times he told me that made me start to believe it over time. It's not until I actually thought it through that I realised he's wrong, I am my own person who can live their own life. It's hard, but… I think I'm getting there."

"I'll be with you every step of the way," Dean said. "I can promise you that."

"Thank you. I really am sorry about last night. Seeing Randy and Paul in the store yesterday just really… Well, terrified me. I guess his text made that worst."

"It's understandable, and like I said, there's no need to apologise. So… Paul? That is his friend's name?"

"Yeah, it is. We've… Well, we've met before."

Dean took note of the pause and Seth's tone of voice, and frowned.

"Met?"

"Well..." Seth started, breathing in deeply. He paused for a couple of moments, before his confidence grew a little. He could trust Dean, he knew he could. "Paul came over one day, which was unusual being as they usually saw each other out of their homes. When Randy went out somewhere, Paul thought it was a good opportunity to… Take advantage of the situation. He forced me on my knees and… Yeah, I guess you can imagine what happened next."

"That's awful, absolutely awful," Dean said. Seth could tell that he was angry.

"It was, but it wasn't as bad as the second time. That was much worse. Randy knew that Paul found me sexually attractive, so for his birthday, he decided that he might as well let me be his 'present'. I couldn't do anything about it; I was blindfolded, my hands were handcuffed, and even if they weren't I still wouldn't have been able to get away without being stopped by two men much larger than me. That was the first and luckily the only time I had been raped by one of his friends."

It took so much bravery to admit this to Dean, but somehow, admitting it was a relief.

"Oh God Seth, I'm so, so sorry. You don't deserve any of that, you really don't… I had no idea anything liked that happened."

His frown deepened when he thought over what Seth had said.

"By one of his friends? You don't mean that..."

"He's raped me too," Seth said quietly. "Numerous times."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel worse or anything."

"No, it's okay, I think it's helping me to talk about things that have happened. I guess it makes me feel better that it's in the past and that I can move on from it eventually."

Dean nodded in understanding.

"If it helps you to talk, then I don't mind if you continue."

Seth smiled, slightly nervously, and inhaled deeply before he spoke.

"Randy, I'm home," Seth called as he placed his school bag down onto the table before sitting down himself on one of the chairs. He buried his head into his hands for a moment, exhausted after the day. There were some days where his classmates liked to say or do more than simply calling him a 'fag'. Those days were ones he feared, ones which left him in a very negative mood. But he had to raise his head out from his hands after a few moments. His hands pressed against the bruise on his cheek weren't helping with ignoring the pain of it. But it was fine; Randy just had one of his mood swings. It would heal. It always does.

He wasn't sure why Randy hadn't come into the lounge yet, but merely shrugged and pulled his school books out of his bag with a sigh. That was when he heard a call from the bedroom.

"Seth, come here for a second. I want to see you."

Seth, of course, slid out of the chair and immediately made his way to the room. Randy was sitting on the edge of the bed, and grinned when he saw Seth.

"What is it?" Seth asked. Randy's grin grew as he pushed himself off the bed and made his way towards Seth.

"Like I said, I wanted to see you," he said. He closed the gap between them by placing his lips onto Seth's. It was immediately forceful, with Randy's tongue slipping easily between Seth's parted lips. It was something he sometimes enjoyed; but not today. He just wanted to talk about his day, seek comfort. But comfort seemed to be the last thing on Randy's mind these days.

"R-Randy, I..." Seth panted when Randy finally pulled away.

"Yeah?" Randy asked, before he started to trail kisses down Seth's neck.

"I just- Ah!" he gasped when Randy nibbled at the tip of his collarbone. He placed his hands on Randy's shoulders and pushed him away slightly. "Randy, I'm not up for this today. I'm sorry."

"Of course you're in the mood," Randy said, his hands trailing down Seth's body. "You always are."

"I'm really not Randy, I-"

"Oh come on, stop being so boring."

Randy's hands gripped on either side of Seth's waist, turned him round and pushed him onto the bed. He quickly slithered on top of him, his lust-filled eyes staring into Seth's as one of his hands grabbed Seth's crotch.

"See, that there is telling me a different story."

Before Seth could mention that his arousal wasn't his consent, before he could even say a word, Randy was unbuckling his belt. He pulled his trousers down before reaching for Seth's own pair. He grabbed Randy's wrists just as his trousers were also pulled down.

"I said no, Randy. I don't want this."

"For fuck's sake, shut up! You live with me, I look after you so if I want this, you do too, alright? Stop being so whiny and just fucking them me have my fun."

Seth gulped and didn't say another word. His eyes squeezed shut and his hands clutched the bed sheets until his knuckles turned white as Randy slid into him. With each relentless thrust Seth tried to remember what Randy had said, that he was able to do what he liked after all he had done for him. But as a tear escaped his eye, he realised that this wasn't just sex. It was rape.

Randy acted as though nothing wrong had just happened when they were finished, and their night carried on normally. But Seth knew that it was wrong. He just didn't know if it mattered.

"That was the first time. There's been others, but the rest seem to blur together now. That memory will always be just as vivid as it was months ago."

"I… I don't know what to say. No one ever deserves to be treated like that, especially not someone as kind as you," Dean said quietly. "I couldn't be more glad that you left there, Seth. You deserve a much better life than that."

"I didn't believe that at first," Seth admitted. "But now… But now I am starting to believe it. I wouldn't have felt this much better without you. I'm so grateful for what you've done for me."

Then Seth did something Dean didn't expect. Seth reached closer to him and wrapped his arms around Dean's neck. It was just a hug. It was what other people saw as something small, something which everyone did. But while Dean had hugged Seth before, Seth had never been the one to hug him first. He had never been able to bring himself to do that. But now here he was, his arms wrapped around Dean who was quick to wrap his own arms around Seth's waist.

"Hey, don't cry," he said when he heard a muffled sob into his shoulder.

"I don't know whether I'm crying out of happiness or sadness," Seth laughed. He pulled away softly, wiping his eyes. "I'm sorry, I got your t-shirt wet."

"Nah, it's fine."

Seth simply laughed again, and was smiling at Dean for several moments before he spoke again.

"Thank you."

A/N: It's pretty late now... Damn me thinking that updating a fanfic can't wait a day after I've finished it! But at least it's updated now. I'm actually pretty glad with how it came out.

Thanks again for the reviews and everything! I'm so glad that people are enjoying this and the amount of positivity I have received has really been cheering me up. I really do appreciate it.

Until next time! Probably in a few weeks because you know how bad I can be at updating quickly.