"Dean. Dean! What the hell was that?"

"A very thoughtful present I'd say," he replied calmly. His mood and the attitude toward this were in total opposition with Seth's. Although this didn't actually concern him, he couldn't live peacefully with the situation he had witnessed. And that present . . . Present?! In what universe even could that devil's box be considered a present?

"You're not worried at all?" Roman asked. He wasn't as enraged as Seth, but neither he was happy about this. He tried it look at it logically. "Don't you think it might be a threat? You might be in danger, Dean," he warned him. Roman tended to be rational; and the conclusion he came to wasn't very positive.

"In danger? Please," he replied skeptically. "This was a joke, definitely not a threat."

"Well, it wasn't funny."

"I laughed."

"How can you be so calm?" Seth asked; he himself was far from being calm.

"Because I know the person who sent it."

Roman smiled but was little amused. He shook his head. "So this person thinks giving people heart attack is funny? Congrats, buddy, I think you've found your match."

"Haha," Dean faked a laugh. Then he got more serious. "This was meant to be seen by me only. It's your fault that you couldn't resist and looked inside. Moreover, it's not like you saw yourself in there so it wasn't that scary for you two."

"But why? Why? Why? Why?" Seth still couldn't understand the reason behind sending it in the first place.

"It was a bet. I lost; therefore this was my punishment."

"Oh, Dean, I think it's time for you to reconsider your decisions on who you hang out with."

Dean left it without a response. Those two didn't know what they were talking about. Sure, he could understand why they didn't consider the situation funny, but he did. He knew this wasn't any threat or a warning; it was simply a joke that went maybe a little too far. But if there was somebody who could object, who had the right to have something against it, it was him; but he was totally okay with it. He got used to this kind of humor; and the person who sent him the package knew he wouldn't see it as crossing some invisible line and ruining their friendship.

"Did you leave it there?" asked Dean abruptly after a while of silence.

"Yeah. But the box is closed; and there's your name on it so I don't think anyone's gonna touch it."

"Good." He really didn't want someone else to come to him and complain about how inappropriate it was. Maybe if it was Halloween people would find it funny; creepy but amusing. In June, that couldn't happen. Dean also wished that debate would be over. "Now can we please change the subject?"

"That was it; I brought about my own downfall. With that stupid suggestion."

"I doubt that."

"I did. That was the last time everything was fine and the future was bright."

"Don't try to be poetic."

"From that moment on, it would get only worse. Actually, that moment was yet to come, but the clock on the bomb was already ticking. The good times were over. Happiness was replaced with worrying, knowing that what I had built in those few weeks would fall apart."

"You're creeping me out. Stop being so sentimental. Be yourself; don't be this whining person. Dean Ambrose, the one I know, doesn't surrender and he doesn't admit his fault."

"Well, I guess this is what I've become. This is what you've made me."

"Bullshit. Come on, say what you really think. I know that somewhere deep inside you want to put the blame on me. Do it! I don't mind. I was the one who sent you the box, the catalyst of what came later."

"Do you want me to be angry at you?"

"Sure. Whatever helps you. I don't want to see you sad. I know that you're worried, but there's no point in hurting yourself by thinking what you've wrong. And remember that this is where we don't take life seriously."

"I can't just let it go. Tell me, what should I do?"

"You know my opinion. But you also know that I don't want to say it and you don't want to hear it. The best you can do right now is shut up, stop thinking about you screwing up, and keep running. Loser pays tonight."

But Dean still couldn't take his mind of that simple, stupid mistake that had changed everything.

"Do you have any plans with Renee tomorrow night?"

"Whoa, you think we can get him two nights in a row?" Seth joked. He seemed to have welcomed the end of the previous conversation, the meaning of which he still didn't quite get, and he was assured he never would. But he wanted to let it go; and let go of that image of the head inside the box. The shivers once again ran through his body when he thought of it. Stop thinking about it, stop imagining it, he kept telling himself.

"Stop acting like I've lost my free will when I entered a serious relationship."

"So is it okay when you hang out with us?" Roman asked, anticipating Dean's confused answer. He could see Dean hadn't talked with Renee about it yet. But on the other hand, he didn't want to show hesitation which could make Roman and Seth think he wasn't allowed to make any decisions without agreement or at least discussion with his girlfriend.

Dean realized what Roman just did and how he cornered him. But to avoid looking weak he said bravely, "I can do something with you, guys."

"Isn't doing something behind Renee's back going to get you into trouble?" Seth asked.

"I can do whatever I want. But this attitude right here is what can make me question whether I want to do anything with you two at all. So tell me what you have in mind before I change my mind," he advised them.

"Let's go watch a movie. I haven't been in a theater for ages."

"We went there together last month; have you forgotten?" Seth reminded Roman.

"That seems like forever ago. We could go watch something."

"Do you have anything specific in mind?"

Dean was willing to let them decide what they would go see. It didn't matter to him; as long as it wasn't something cheesy or a total bullshit. But he trusted their opinion on movies and he was sure he would like what they would choose. So he just stood there, listened to them argue over unimportant issues which he didn't give a damn about. Sometimes he nodded or shook his head, shrugged his shoulders or raised his eyebrow to make them reconsider their choice; at times he even laughed at what movie they suggested. Finally he found himself lost in his thoughts; their conversation bore him.

"I think we lost him," Seth spoke. Both Seth and Roman were watching him while he was unaware of them looking at him; he was unaware even of their presence.

"Let's decide what we're gonna see now so that he cannot get a vote."

"Nah, that's a wasted opportunity," Roman disagreed. Then told Seth, "Follow my lead." He stepped to Dean's left side; Seth was on the opposite side, not knowing what Roman's plan was yet. Soon he realized. Roman winked at Seth. "One . . . two . . . three." From where they were standing they blew into Dean's ears who in reaction shivered and put his hands on his ears. Roman and Seth burst into laughing. They got his attention now.

"Jerks!"

"Were you dreaming about your princess that the dragon keeps in the tower and how you're gonna save her?" Seth provoked him.

"Idiot." He tried to hit him but Seth moved aside reflexively.

"Guys, guys," Roman tried to lessen the atmosphere which he caused. "Let's just decide, okay? I don't have whole day for this." Neither did Dean and Seth so they stopped squabbling and ended it with a hateful look, which was so frequent in their disputes.

"Just pick something," Seth suggested. "I always like your choices."

"What about my choices?" Dean started the quarrel again.

"Meh."

Roman sensed the immediacy of another fight and wanted to prevent it. He could swear those two were like little children; never agreeing on anything and looking for smallest reason to start a fight. Roman always tried to be impartial but he couldn't help but support Seth, simply because Seth was usually more logical. Dean . . . well, Dean was Dean. Roman was sure that what Dean said sometimes couldn't even make sense to him. But he was still willing to fight for it.

"Hey ref," Dean called at Roman, "what do they even play?" Now that was a good question. Roman had no idea. He looked at Seth; he shrugged his shoulders. Dean smiled viciously. "So I guess we're gonna watch 22 Jump Street."

"Nah," Roman had to let him down, "that comes out on 6th."

"Dammit!" Dean went back to thinking. He had to think of something. But he was too slow.

"X-Men," Seth shouted triumphantly, knowing he won this little battle.

"Pff, I've already seen it with Cassie." Then Dean's eyes opened widely. Oh shit, he thought to himself.

"We'll find something else then," Roman said; he hadn't noticed anything. Unlike Seth.

"Cassie as in your ex-girlfriend Cassie?"

Dean stayed quiet. He knew everything he'd say could be used against him.

"That movie opened what two weeks ago?" Seth spoke with detective undertone. "Are you still seeing her?" he asked directly. Silence sufficed as an affirmation of Dean's guilt.