Chapter Five: Trust and a Sleepover (kinda)

A/N: So, this is a chapter was supposed to be something completely different, but then I got sidetracked and really off topic. Another Ambrollins bonding-ish chapter. I will do a Roman heavy chapter sometime in the future since this fic is sorely lacking in them. Writer's block is also starting to kick in, so next chapter won't be up as soon as I want it to. Hope you're enjoying what you're reading so far, and here's the next chapter. Disclaim: WWE (AKA the McMahons) owns all shows, characters, storylines, etc. I'm just an obsessed fangirl author who writes fics about their top wrestlers.

"Mama?!" Dean yelled into his house.

"Kitchen!" she answered back. He walked inside to the kitchen and- Oh crap. Roy, his mom's boyfriend, sat next to her at the kitchen table. He was six foot, lean, blonde, and there was something about him that made it impossible to trust him. Dean's hands balled up into fists, but he willed himself to calm down. His mother's happiness was more important than his childish wants. He took a deep breath, which didn't really help, and un-balled his fists.

"Hey, Roy," he said casually. The man nodded to him, holding his mom's hand. "Mama, I, uh… I got a raise today at work." Angie jumps up and wraps her arms around him. " *laughs* It's not much more, but-"

"It's enough. I'm so proud of you, baby," she said, ruffling his hair. Dean laughed softly and pulled away, cheeks tinged with embarrassment. Roy smiles warmly at him and shoots him a thumbs up. Dean wanted to trust him. Really, he did, but something inside him just screamed that Roy was up to no good. Those green eyes radiated trouble. His mom just couldn't see it. Just as he thought that, the bastard produces a knife from behind his back and, before he could move to stop him, stabs her in the back. Her face is a frozen mask of pain and disbelief. A tear slowly rolls down her cheek and she reaches out to him before collapsing. He falls to his knees and begs the blonde to deliver the killing blow. He merely laughs and walks out the front door, dropping the bloody weapon at Dean's feet.

XxX

Dean screams in his sleep and shoots upright in his rickety bed. His breathing is ragged and his head is on a swivel. His hand goes to the switchblade under his pillow as his door flies open. His mother stands before him with a .45 pistol in her hand, pointed forward. She lowers the gun and sets it down, rushing to her son and wrapping her arms around him. "Shh…" she coos. "What's wrong, honey?" Tears roll down her son's cheeks. "Nightmares?" He nods and pulls away. The clock reads 12:04 to his right.

"I'm fine." He rubs his eyes and lets his head fall back onto the pillow. He tries to even out his breathing and calm down his racing heart. His mom walks back to the door, picking up the gun and, casting one last reassuring glance over her shoulder at him, softly closes his bedroom door. He sighs and closes his eyes, mind racing. Whelp, looks like he won't be getting any sleep tonight, like usual. Thank whatever's out there that that scene hadn't played out that way Saturday night. Roy was there, but there was no stabbing, dying, crying, or begging for death. Another thing to add to the list of things wrong with him. Frequently dreams of death by mom's psychopath boyfriend. Good grief.

XxX

The week went by faster than Seth had anticipated. At the end of the day on Friday, his English teacher called him to her desk and handed him a paper with a smile. He looked it over. He'd missed one question out of everything, so he'd practically aced every test. She also called Dean up with a surprised but equally happy look on her face. The half blonde glanced at the paper and his jaw dropped. Zero marks. Not a single red x on any question. It's not that he didn't think Dean could do it. It was just that he thought that Dean wouldn't do it. "Jesus, Jon! You didn't miss anything!" Dean smirked and threw his arm around Seth's shoulders as they walked out of the classroom.

"Well, I went here last year, and it's honestly not that hard to remember a few stupid rules," the brunette replied. "And you thought I wouldn't pass. We, uh, still doin' dinner at your place?" Seth smiled at him.

"Of course we are. What, did you think I changed my mind? Just 'cause your mom's out of town does not mean you can't stay for dinner." Seth replied. Dean shook his head as they continued walking out of the school building and down the sidewalk. Rain lightly fell in a sort of mist around them. Seth pulled up his hood on his hoodie and Dean wrapped his jacket tighter around his shoulders.

"Just thought you'd be worn out after all the testing we did."

" 'Course not. I've always got enough energy to go at it." Dean smirks. Does Seth realise he has a bad case of verbal diarrhea sometimes? The things he thought of when Seth had uttered those words…

"Oh really?" Dean asked. "For how long? How many rounds can you go before you call it quits? Till it's too much for ya to handle?" Seth had a confused look on his face before his eyes went wide and he shoved Dean away. The brunette laughed at his reaction.

"Dude, gross! Seriously, are you making fun of me because of what I told you?" Dean stopped laughing immediately and told Seth to look at him.

"There is nothing wrong with your sexuality. You can like or love or fuck whoever you want to. It can be a chick, it can be a guy. I don't care. It was just a joke, man. I didn't mean it like that. I never mean it like that." Seth is startled by how determined Dean sounds to make his point clear. "And if anyone says something about it to you you better let me know so I can cave his face in."

"Relax, Jon. No one's gonna bother me." Dean doesn't seem convinced, but they continue walking down the block. Rain continued pouring down, faster now, and the two ran back to their houses. Seth ran to the safety of the awning of his front door, unlocking it with his keys. Dean ran to the safety of… nothing because, of course he'd locked his keys in his house this morning. *sigh* Great. His mom said she'd be out with Roy for the day too, meaning he'd probably have to sit out in the rain until who knows how long. He sat down on the edge of the steps to his front door with his head in his hands. Should've brought a hoodie to school.

"What's up?!" Seth shouted across the street. Dean got up, tried the door, punched it, and sat back down in the same position again. Seth gave him a confused look before strolling across the street, grabbing Dean's arm, and dragging the brunette back to his house.

"Dude, what the Hell are you doing?" Seth ignored him and dragged him into his house. "I'm fine. Seriously, what- Let go!" He wrenched his arm out of Seth's grasp as the half blonde shut the door behind them and locked it.

"Did you really think I'd just let you freeze to death in the pouring rain, soaked to the bone, on a Friday night of all things?" Dean opened his mouth to answer yes, but quickly stopped himself. "Friends don't leave friends out in the rain. Seriously, you can come here anytime you need someplace to stay." Dean frowned and looked away. He wanted to trust Seth, hadn't had any issues doing so lately, as a matter of fact. Part of him still screamed to get out before it was too late, before another person could worm their way past his defenses and destroy him from the inside out. However, part of him was grateful to Seth, wishing he could voice that and at least act like he cared.

"I would've been fine." Dean growled, plopping down on one of the kitchen chairs. Seth sighed sadly. They were making progress. Why did Dean hide behind his defenses when someone tried to be nice and show that they cared? "I've been through worse."

"Doesn't matter," Seth shot back instantly. "You're staying, whether you like it or not. Besides, I'm home alone today too." Dean gave him a confused look. "My dad… he's going to see my mom tonight, down at her new office on the other side of town. Won't be back till tomorrow night. I could use the company." Seth saw a mischievous gleam in Dean's eyes.

In a low voice, he said, "So, you're tellin' me… that we're alone? No one can bother us? Then, you demand that I stay because you want company? What kind of elaborate scheme is this, pretty boy? Want me all to yourself?" Seth pulled frustratedly at his hair while blushing madly. He hadn't thought about that until he'd brought it up, but still! He'd had just about enough of this.

"Can you not- Can't you be serious for more than two seconds? I'm offering you a place to stay for the night because, otherwise, you'd be sleeping outside, in the rain, with no food, no shelter, nothing. Can't you accept that people offer you help because they care?! Whenever someone tries to get close to you, you either become closed off and distanced, get angry, or become so annoying and immature that people refuse to deal with you. Honestly, I'm helping you because I care! And will you stop it with the gay jokes? You say you're not making fun of me, but you keep accusing me of trying to sleep with you! Whaddaya take me for?!" Seth was breathing heavily now, fists clenched at his sides… and up in Dean's face. When had he moved exactly? And where did that outburst come from? The two toned teen backed away and cast his eyes down with an ashamed look on his face. "I'm sorry for yelling, it's just…"

"No," Dean interrupted. Seth looked up again, seeing a defeated look in Dean's eyes. "I'll stop with the jokes, okay? I'll shut up. Forget I said anything, I'm sorry." Seth continued tugging on his hair.

"You have nothing to apologize for. It's just, I want you to know that you can trust me. I'm not the kind of person who uses people and gets rid of them when they're done. I won't hurt you or abandon you. I genuinely do give a damn about you because you're one of the best friends I've had. Actually, I think you and Joe are the only ones…" Dean stood up and stood face to face with Seth.

"I trust you. I do, really. I just… I need time… to get used to this kinda thing." Seth smiled weakly at him. Time. How much exactly? 'As much as he needs,' his brain answered for him. He would not ruin this friendship because he was an impatient bastard. Seth nodded, grabbing a two cups and drink packets from a cabinet. After heating up some water and mixing the drinks, he handed one to Dean. Dean sniffed his cup and moaned when he recognized the drink. Seth again blushed at the sound. "Hot cocoa. You are the man, pretty boy." He eagerly gulped down a scalding mouthful, getting foam on his upper lip. Seth was tempted to wipe it off with his finger, or lick it off… No! Where did that thought even come from?!

"So, do you want me to cook us something? I don't think we can order out in this storm-"

"We could."

"I don't think we should order out in this storm," Seth corrected himself. Dean nodded as he rummaged around the kitchen. He pulled out a huge pot, a cutting board, somewhat sharp knife, a stirring spoon, and different shakers for seasoning. He then started looking through Seth's fridge. He pulled out beans, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, green beans, some chicken, corn, peas, etc. He washed everything that needed to be washed and started chopping things up. "What are you doing?"

"Cooking us dinner," he replied, mincing some carrots. "Believe it or not, I know how to cook."

"Are you sure you won't burn down my kitchen?"

"I'm a screw up, I'll admit that. I know how to cook though, even if I never had much practice. Relax, Mr. I Cook Gourmet Meals on a Daily Basis. Nothing's gonna catch on fire." Dean tossed ingredients into the pot after filling it with a reasonable amount of water and heating it up somewhat. He left the potatoes out for now, "So they don't melt into mush before everything's done cooking," he'd said. Next, he added some seasoning: salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, basil, a hint of vinegar, a little hot sauce. "Soup is good with you, right?" Seth nodded.

"Yeah, whatever you want to eat. I won't complain. But while we're waiting…" Seth pulls out some sweet ingredients, a baking tray, some bowls, etc. Dean turns and sees Seth holding a bag of various chocolate chips. He's pretty sure he's gonna start drooling. "Up for making brownies?" Dean nodded eagerly, helping Seth out with the mixing and decorating. An hour or two of cooking, baking, getting raw food in their hair, and conversing later and the two had food ready. Dean grabbed two bowl and filled them to the brim with soup, setting one down in front of Seth. Seth stuck as many brownies as he could fit into a plastic container for later. They enjoyed their warm meal and once again argued over who should do the dishes. The argument was ended when Seth soaked Dean by splashing water all over him. Dean grumbled and stood back a bit to watch Seth. His hands moved smoothly and gently over the china, glass, and plastic. He wondered what it would feel like if Seth stroked his cheek with his soft hands. He also wondered where the Hell that thought came from and why he wanted to know what that felt like.

Seth placed the last plate on the dish rack and turned back to Dean. "Okay! Since you're staying here for the night, let's get some things straight. My dad's room is off limits, obviously. I'm taking the couch, you take my bed. Anything you need, just borrow some of my stuff. I've got some clothes that are too big for me you could borrow, soap and shampoo and stuff like that, don't touch my toothbrush, anything you need. Stay up as long as you want, eat whenever you need to, ya know, like midnight snacks. My place is your place, man." He spread his arms out and gestured all around him. Dean's face heated up. He hated accepting help.

"You don't have to-"

"Don't give me that bullshit, Jon. Seriously. Just go with it. I don't mind, really."

"You're not sleeping on the couch then."

"Yes, I am." Dean scowled at him.

"I won't let you. What's so wrong with sharing the bed?" 'Seeing as how I'm into guys and I'll be in the same bed as one I actually like (as a friend), I see a few things wrong with that,' Seth thought to himself.

"There's nothing wrong with that-"

"Good, we're sharing the bed then. Can't have you injure your back before the tryouts on Monday, can I? You mind if I shower first?" Seth shook his head.

"Nah. Go ahead. Biggest one's in my room, but there's one across the hall if you wanna use that one." Dean nodded and headed upstairs. Seth plopped down on the couch. Dean continued up the stairs, trying to get himself together. Why was trusting Seth so hard? He dismissed the thought and went into his room. He grabbed a towel and a pair of baggy sweatpants and an oversized Nike T-shirt for Seth. He decided to use the bathroom in Seth's room. He would not turn down the offer of an actual shower that gave him enough room to move around and would actually have warm water. He set the clothes and towel down by the sink and stepped into the shower, pulling the curtain a little. He turned on the water as hot as he could stand, quickly fogging up the mirror and window. He groaned in relief, not having felt a shower this great in… ever. For a few minutes, he simply stood under the burning spray of hot water, soaking up the heat.

"Oh God, this feels amazing," he whispered to himself. He looked at the shampoo bottles within reach and grabbed one. He gently scrubbed some into his unruly curls and scratched at his scalp. He washed it all out when he was satisfied. He grabbed one of Seth's washrags and a bar of soap, enjoying the luxuries while they lasted. He lathered his skin with the soap, scrubbing off as much dirt, grime, and sweat as he could. He swept his now silky smooth brown curls out of his eyes and let the spray rinse the soap off of him. Which left…

XxX

Seth sat on his couch, trying to sort out his feelings. Dean was… more considerate than he thought. This made Seth more uncomfortable than it should have. Sharing a house, shower, a bed, with someone he'd quickly grown close with made him feel uneasy. And Dean was a guy. No girl on Earth could make him this uncomfortable. He considered Dean a friend. However, part of him screamed a different word. Boyfriend. That's ridiculous. He did not have a crush on Dean. No. He pined after Roman. Why did he hang onto Dean's every word each time he spoke then? Why did he think those irresistible dimples were so adorable? Why did his eyes sparkle every time he looked into them? Why did a moan from Dean make him think some not so PG things? No. He would continue to deny these thoughts. Dean already had issues with trust. He didn't need the fact that one of his only friends may or may not feel something towards him to add.

"We're just friends. That's all," Seth said to himself. It didn't sound very convincing. As an excuse to go upstairs, Seth would claim that he was checking up on Dean. He quietly made his way upstairs. The lights were off across the hall, so Dean was using his shower. He went into his room, seeing the bathroom door slightly ajar, steam slowly making its presence felt, hearing the sound of running water. Curiosity made it really hard to just walk away. He wasn't someone who would… Fuck it. Seth silently made his way over to the bathroom door, a few steps away and out of anyone's line of sight inside. 'You can still turn back,' his brain reasoned. The half blonde thought about it… Nah. He looked inside and became transfixed by the sight before him. Dean's skin was slightly pink because of how hot the water was beating down on him. His abs were on full display as well as some of his muscles. He scrubbed the last of some soap off his body before putting the rag down. He glanced down and his soapy hands slid between his legs. Seth's eyes refused to look away. He knew he should, but his body wouldn't respond to his thoughts.

Seth squirmed when he heard Dean let out a long, low groan. That should've been his first sign to move away. It's called taking a shower for a reason. You clean yourself up, get out, and move on. So why did it feel like- No. He would not let his mind go down that path. This was wrong, he screamed at himself. Talk about invading someone's privacy. He quickly scrambled away when he finally regained control of his limbs and ran out of the room, stopping at the bottom of the stairs to catch his breath. He sat down on the last step, leaning against the side of the stairs. What was wrong with him? He'd never be able to unsee that now, not that he wanted to exactly. Still, what was going on with him? The image of Dean with his eyes squeezed shut, head thrown back, hands… there, kept coming back to his head. The two toned teen got up and sat back down on the couch in his living room. He turned on the tv and tried to let whatever was on distract him. It worked for a little while, until he heard footsteps from behind. Dean, in a pair of sweatpants and a shirt that fit him just right, hopped over the couch and sat next to him. He pulled Seth's head onto his lap and carded his fingers through his two toned hair, smiling softly down at him. Seth smiled back, leaning into Dean's touch.

XxX

"Did I wake you up?" a muffled voice asked. Seth felt a smile on his face and fingers playing with his hair, lightly scratching his scalp, almost making him purr. He hummed contently. He opened his eyes to meet bright blue ones, staring at him intently. Seth shook his head and froze, only just now realizing that he was laying down. On Dean's lap. When quite clearly he'd been watching tv. Or had he been…? Wait, when had he fallen asleep? What was happening?

"No… *yawns* How long have you…?"

"About five or ten minutes," Dean answered. "You fell asleep at the kitchen table, so I brought you over here. You were eating a brownie. Actually," Dean leaned a bit closer to him. "you've still got chocolate on your face." Slowly and gently, he wiped it away, almost caressing his cheek, with his right index finger. Seth totally didn't lean into his touch. Who told you that? "There." Seth murmured a muffled and abashed, "Thanks." "It's nothin'," Dean replied, shrugging it off. It didn't help Seth's cause when he saw Dean lick the chocolate smeared finger. "I finished up a movie, and Smackdown was on, so I thought we could watch it if you ever woke up." Seth turned his head towards the tv. Triple H was doing a promo, interrupted by Mick Foley. Seth could imagine being in Triple H's place and having Dean interrupt him during a promo. They'd duke it out, spark a rivalry, start an all out war. It kept the slight smile on his face.

Dean glanced down at Seth every now and then. The way he looked so at peace on his lap made his heart flutter for a second. So did the intensity of his gaze when their eyes would briefly meet every now and then. This felt almost… normal. Like home. When it had been announced that the promo had turned into a match, Seth sided with Triple H while Dean sided with Mick Foley. If only they knew just what the future held for them, how they'd be compared to these very legends. Dean cheered as Triple H got hit with a double armed DDT. "No! Kick out, kick out, Hunter!" Seth yelled at the tv. One! Two! No! Triple H just gets the shoulders up in time. As the match goes on, the tables get turned, Mick Foley being planted by a spinebuster. Triple H flaunted to the crowd a bit before screaming at the HCL to get up. Mick staggers to his feet, getting kicked in the gut as Triple H sets him up for the Pedigree. Mick counters it into a Mandible Claw. The match continues after Triple H escapes, eventually ending with a Pedigree and a three count.

"Damn it! Why, Mick?!" Dean screamed, though there was excitement in his eyes and his lips quirked upward slightly. "I mean, it was a good match, but still!" The younger teen laughed softly at Dean's outburst.

"He's called the King of Kings for a reason." They hocker back and forth for a while before going back upstairs to Seth's room. They end up playing video games up until midnight, before Dean reminds Seth he has work in the morning. He nods, turning off the game system. They both brush their teeth and settle into the bed. It was awkward at first. Eventually, Seth relaxed, facing the door to his room and closing his eyes. Dean stared at the back of his head for the longest time before hugging the two toned teen from behind and turning his back to him. "G'night, pretty boy," he whispered, before sleeping soundly and deeply for the first time in years.

Closing A/N: This didn't turn out at all how I wanted. Oh well. I'll save what I wanted for next chapter, which I have no idea how to set up now. *sigh* Curse you, writer's block and constant migraines! Anyway, hope I'm not boring you to death and confusing you too much. When I run out of ideas, stuff tends to be written into a jumbled up mess. Hence the current chapter. Whelp, until the next update...