This is another chapter without any smut, just adding a bit more to the plot. Next chapter the smut will return, don't worry.
When he had heard Ben yell from upstairs, he freaked out. Sprinting up the stairs, he found himself terrified that something from his past had taken Ben. As he came into sight, he saw Ben was sprawled on the floor he let out a sigh of relief he was still there. Ben was staring into his room, not even bothering to reply to his questions as he yelled them in his ears. Finally, Ben explained that he had just tripped and fell, but still remained focused on his room. His face was a mask of confusion and worry. Not liking how things had played out today, he shifted himself in front of Ben's bedroom door. Ben blinked and stared up at him with uncertainty, then tried to peer around his legs. Turning, he made his way to Ben's doorway and peered in quietly, his hunter instincts taking over. Flaring his nostrils, he detected something in the air, something vaguely familiar. Darting his eyes around, he couldn't see anything different. The curtains that covered the window and catwalk door were in place.
Taking a step inside, he jumped when he felt something grab his leg. Stumbling, he brought one hand up and took hold of the door frame to regain balance and brought his hand down in a jab toward whatever had grabbed him. Luckily, he was able to stop just before he brought the full power down on Ben's finally repaired arm. With the force he had used, he was positive the arm would have broke again. He glared down with fury at Ben, who immediately flinched away with tears brimming in his eyes. Biting his lip, he felt sick at the way he had looked at Ben, and knew that he had broken something between them. Inside, he knew Ben had reached out to him trying to communicate with him without using sound which would alert anything bad of their presence. Taking another quick glance back, and finally feeling positive the room was safe, he stepped back on to the landing and closed the door.
Squatting, he reached out to Ben who once again flinched at his touch. This single action almost broke his heart. Cursing himself for his reaction to Ben, he turned his palm up and placed it in front of him. After a few moments, Ben reached down with his hand shaking and took hold. Letting out a heavy sigh, Dean pulled him in and held him on his lap, letting Ben lean against his bare chest. Ben hadn't cried out, but their were a few tears that he was trying to brush away in embarrassment. Looking up and meeting his eyes, he felt better as Ben's eyes softened and returned to the normal amount of affection he'd had for him that had become apparent recently.
"I'm sorry Ben." he whispered in a choked voice, feeling ashamed.
"It's o.k. Dean, I should have waited until you gave me a signal it was alright to talk to you. It was just that glare was the scariest thing I've ever seen. Of course it..."he trailed off, his skin becoming a pinkish color.
"Finish it." he whispered with a smirk.
"Well, it was hot how intense your eyes were, and your muscles were bulging." he replied, by which time he was almost entirely pink with embarrassment.
The moment was over though, as he peered back up at the closed door, frowning.
"Something happened that made you trip. Tell me everything, don't leave anything out." he said seriously.
"When I ran past the door the first time to grab clothes out of the big bedroom, I didn't notice anything. As I ran past my door on the way back, I looked in because I had though I had closed the curtains and there was more light that was possible if the they were blocked by the curtains. Plus, I could have swore I saw someone standing outside on the catwalk, looking in through the window. I tripped as I turned back to look at the room again and stumbled with my own legs. After I tripped, I looked up and the curtains were closed like they should be." he explained, frowning.
While he was telling his tale, he had been dressing himself, and handing clothing to Ben. Finally dressed, they made their way on down the landing. Pausing, he walked to the door and pressed his ear against it, being careful to stand to the side which wouldn't alert anyone watching shadows from the gap between the door and the floor. Ben made to open the door, but he raised his hand to stop him. Not hearing anything inside, he walked a few steps away, then quickly and silently returned his ear to the door. Many times in the past, he found himself listening through a door, and not hearing anything he would move on. Once he had moved on, something would make a sound not fearing that it would be caught. He had learned to return to the door, and many times had caught whatever it was that was hiding. That had happened when Sam and he had caught a creature that had hidden inside a closet, and would watch for the change in shadow that it used to detect potential prey.
Finally, he felt it was safe to proceed downstairs. Ben led the way, while he walked sideways, keeping a large amount of space within his vision. Downstairs, they sat at the bar so they could see all the windows, as well as the landing upstairs. There was a secret door he had built that opened a panel on the side of the bar that would lead to a small safe room. The room was demon, ghost, monster, and most recently made angel proof. Survival provisions were also stocked within. They both sat in silence for a few minutes, waiting to see if anything could be heard around them.
"Alright Ben," he finally said, looking directly at him."Tell me what happened, starting when you first sensed something while we were swimming. Don't leave anything out; the littlest detail could be crucial" he finished.
"Well, when I was under water, I had this sudden feeling of being watched, but couldn't tell if it was good or bad. Something compelled me to break the surface of the creek, as if it was vital to stay safe. I was watching the deer over by the tree line because they were stock still, ears pricked up and swiveling side to side. After a few moments, they bolted into the trees. I heard something breaking something in the woods at the far end of the field. Of course, by that time you had taken in that something was wrong.I got this sick feeling in my stomach just as I reached the top of the cliff. As we pulled away, I saw someone walking in the field ju-"
"What?! I didn't see anyone out there" he said, incredulously. Trying to think back, he was sure he hadn't seen anyone."What did they look like?" he asked urgently.
Ben's face looked strained, almost as if it hurt to think about what he saw.
"There was a person, I think, dirty blonde hair and not quite as tall as you, Dean." he said looking up."I think it was a guy too, and for some reason I think I've met him before." he finished, shivering. Frowning, Ben looked down at his hands, clearly disturbed at not being able to figure more out.
"Do you think whoever it was that was in the field was dangerous?" he asked Ben, having a sinking feeling that he knew who the unknown person was.
"Yes, I think so, but it depends on the situation. It's weird you didn't sense anything until I noticed something." he looked at him, looking confused and on edge.
Slowly nodded his head, also finding it out of the ordinary. Thinking back to their ride to the swimming spot, he remembered their conversation. When he had mentioned the name Adam, Ben had given him a look that was almost identical to the face he was now observing. Still, there was no way what he feared was true. If Adam had survived his tumble into hell and returned to the present, so would Sam. He knew if Sam was back, he would have contacted him already.
When he had peered into Ben's room a few minutes ago, and before his concentration had been shattered when he was touched, he thought he had sensed something powerful. What he had sensed though, wasn't evil, but was basically a preference. He glanced up at Ben's room through the floor. There was a way he could find out if what he wondered was true. He didn't want to do it, but if Sam's spirit was anyone near him here, he needed to know. Thinking back, he recalled the time Sam had held a seance in the crypt of a church that he was convinced an angel was giving people orders to kill the wicked. In the end, it turned out to be the spirit of the priest that was killed outside.
Gritting his teeth, he made his decision and got up. Ben made to follow him, but he shook his head. Sighing he opened the panel inside the bar, he entered the underground room and went to the desk where he kept every scrap of paper that a hunter would need to combat the unknown. Reluctantly, he opened a drawer in the desk and pulled out the journal. As he read through much of it, he recognized his Dad's handwriting, and even some of Sam's on different pages. Before he could stop himself, he felt tears slowly sliding down his cheeks. Every member of his family was gone, and he was alone if not for Ben and Lisa.
Feeling two arms reach down over his shoulders, he turned slightly to see Ben leaning down. Now hugging him from behind, Ben kissed the back of his neck while rubbing his chest, not in a sexual way but a comforting one. Here he was, tears falling and probably looking like a baby, a 14 year old boy was comforting him as if he were the adult. Finally settling down, he reached his hand up and placed it atop Ben's that was rubbing his chest. Ben rested his chin on his shoulder and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek. This was so sweet it made him smile, and his tears ceased. Still smiling, he bent down and flipped to the page where he knew the instructions to the seance was.
Under different circumstances, he would have asked Ben to leave, but he was not about to treat him like a kid again. Turning pages with speed, he passed the right one, then had to go back. Reading the instructions, he took out the list, and passed it up to Ben to look at.
"Do we have some of these in the kitchen?" he asked him, getting up to pull different things out of drawers from the desk. glancing to the side, he walked over to a large stand of shelves and pulled more items down.
"I think so." came Ben's reply from behind him.
Before Ben could leave, he walked up to him and looked down. For some reason, Ben looked a bit apprehensive. Smiling, he leaned down and tipped his chin up. He kissed him long and hard, trying to convey his feelings to him. After a few moments he broke away. He looked blankly at him, almost in shock. Reaching his arms out, he pulled him into a tight hug.
"Thank you Ben. It was nice to have someone comfort me like that. It meant a lot to me." he said softly, but completely serious.
Looking a bit embarrassed, Ben shrugged and looked down mumbling something. His skin had turned pink, with emotion.
"Speak up bud." he said, losing his serious tone, letting him now they could back to normal.
"I said it was nice that I could get to comfort you when you've seen me break down multiple times recently." he said, looking up with a half smirk.
Nodding, they made their way out of the secret room and into the kitchen. As they began pulling different things out and setting them to the side, he felt something. From behind him, he heard something he hadn't heard in ages, a flutter of wings. Slowly, he turned and looked into the living room.
"Hello Dean." came a deep voice.
This is another chapter without any smut, just adding a bit more to the plot. Next chapter the smut will return, don't worry.