Dean watched Xander scurry out of the bathroom with his head down. He got the sense that there was something else going on with him but Dean knew they weren't close enough to talk about it yet. Despite how close they had just been. Dean smirked, thinking of the sex. And then grimaced, thinking of Xander's reaction. He preferred that his partners not hate themselves afterwards. Especially Xander, who was pretty much the only friend he had made in this world.

He left the bathroom and after considering the pool tables for a minute, headed over to the bar for another drink. It was getting towards the part of the evening where he would usually pick a fight with some nasty creepity or find someone to go home with. After that tussle with Xander in the bathroom, he felt he could go either way. He was eyeing one of the waitresses, who was eyeing him right back, when he heard something crash at the back of the room.

In the back of the room a girl with messy chestnut hair had stumbled into a table knocking drinks and silverware to the floor. She was obviously plastered. The guy attached to her was laughing at her sloppiness and caught her as she fell backwards into his arms. She grabbed his head and gracelessly sucked on his tongue. He seemed into it. Dean shook his head disparagingly.

"Classy, ain't it?"

Dean looked back across the bar. The sexy bleach blond punk was washing out a glass and looking at the couple behind him. He seemed familiar for some reason.

"Not the word I'd use but uh...to each their own," Dean said with a shrug. Spike nodded.

"Speaking of classy, thanks for leaving the bathroom mostly intact," Spike added with a little smirk. Dean laughed.

"Yeah, sorry about that pal. Heat of the moment, you know?" Spike smiled.

"Sure, sure. Your friend left pretty quick, didn't he?" Dean frowned and then sighed.

"Yeah..." he trailed off, staring into his drink. Spike eyed him for a moment, noting that he was pretty when he brooded.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked. The bar was beginning to empty at this time of night, and the guy seemed interesting. "I am a classically trained bartender, after all. I light cigarettes and offer sage advice free of charge."

Dean snorted.

"Thanks, but no," he said, taking a swing of his drink. He sat in silence for a moment as Spike tended to the other patrons of the bar. When Spike passed by in front of him, Dean suddenly blurted out,

"I may have fucked up." Spike finished up what he was doing and then wandered back towards Dean. He poured him another drink.

"How so?"

"That guy I was with?" Dean asked, waiting for acknowledgment. Spike nodded, indicating that he knew who Dean was referring to. Spike was careful not to communicate the fact that he was desperate for any gossip related to the mysterious one-eyed regular.

"Well, I'm knew in town, and that was the only guy who's been even halfway decent to me. I think I just messed it all up." Spike shrugged noncommittally.

"Yeah, sex will do that," he deadpanned. Dean glared.

"Thanks. That's helpful," he said sarcastically. Spike rolled his eyes.

"Did you force him?"

"No!" Dean exclaimed with disgust.

"Did he enjoy it?"

Dean paused thoughtfully, replaying the events in his mind.

"He seemed to, up until he ran out." Spike shrugged.

"So talk it out or pretend it never happened. Either way, shouldn't be too hard to get over." Dean stared at him in disbelief.

"That's your 'sage advice?" he asked incredulously. "That's crap." Spike laughed.

"Well, maybe if you tell me a little more about this friend, I'd have a better idea of what 'sage advice' I would be appropriate," he said mildly.

Before Dean could answer, he was distracted again by loud laughter at the back of the room. He looked back and saw the drunk girl and semi-drunk idiot guy making their way out the door. Suddenly the guy stumbled and seemed to fall backwards, but the girl quickly grabbed him and held him upright. She offered him a hazy smile and they continued out the door. Dean couldn't quite place it, but something about the interaction had his hunter senses all a-tingle. He absentmindedly grabbed some cash and threw it onto the bar before following them out.

Spike watched him go, confused as to what had elicited his abrupt departure.

Dean emerged in a darkened ally on the side of the restaurant. He looked hugged the shadows and look around, trying to see where the couple had done run off to. He heard a noise from down the street. Dean looked up and saw the couple wrapped around each other, leaning up against the brick wall of an abandoned storefront. From the way they were undulating he figured everything was good and he could go back to the bar and the interesting bartender. Unfortunately for him and his unsatisfied libido, at exactly that moment a bolt of heat lighting lit up the summer sky, revealing the skanky vampiress for what she was.

Dean snapped into hunter mode and slowly pulled the stake out of his back pocket. He stalked towards the couple silently, trying to remember what he had learned about these types of vampires.

When Dean was about two feet away from the couple, the female vampire raised her head suddenly and threw her prey at Dean. He managed to spin away as the guy stumbled into the wall behind him. Unfortunately, Dean was off balance when the vampire chick started coming at him. She was fast and vicious, clawing at him with intentionally sharpened nails. Fortunately, although the vampire had speed on her side, she was still drunk and therefore sloppy. Dean easily fell into the age old pattern of defensive moves; easily swatting away her blows until she foolishly left herself open. Seeing his chance, Dean punched her full in the chest and she fell back against the wall heavily.

Before she had a chance to recover, Dean thrust the stake deep into her chest with a satisfying squelch. She stared at him with shocked yellow eyes, and then rapidly faded away into dust. Dean stumbled as he fell forward into the ash cloud of her remains. He choked on the unpleasant dust, making a mental note to try to avoid the dust spray in the future.

"Wow."

Dean looked up in surprise as he saw that the guy from the bar had followed him out of the bar and was staring at him. At some point during the fight the vampire's victim had scurried off.

As Dean blinked dust out of his eyes, he noticed something interesting.

"Why do you have a stake?" Dean asked, gesturing Spike's hand. Spike looked down at his stake. Then he looked back at Dean.

"You may not realize this, mate, but you're pretty drunk right now. Wasn't sure you could handle a vampire on your own."

Dean blinked.

"I'm not drunk," he muttered. Although, now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he was realizing that he felt very...lethargic. And the world was a bit fuzzy at the edges. He took a step towards Spike and realized that he was actually not all that steady on his feet. Spike must have noticed it because all of a sudden he was there by Dean's side; an arm under his shoulder propping him up.

"Easy there, big guy," he said soothingly.

"You know about vampires?" Dean asked in confusion. Xander had made it sound like it was an big secret.

"Yeah, they come around here every so often. Some people pretend they're not real but on some level everyone knows," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh," Dean said stupidly. Suddenly, a fuzzy memory of a photograph from Xander's apartment popped into his head. In a flash of clarity, Dean understood why Xander must come here every night, and why this guy knew about vampires. Dean also understood why this guy was trying to make sure he hadn't been a jerk to Xander. The guys must be friends. Out loud, Dean simply said, "Cool." Spike laughed.

"Yeah, cool. Look, mate, is there someone I can call to come get you?" he asked tiredly. Dean thought of Xander, and nixed that idea. Then he thought of Sam, who would no doubt give him an annoying 'I told you so' and never let him live this night down.

"Nah," Dean said, disentangling himself. "the place I'm staying isn't far form here. I'll walk it."

Spike watched him stumble forward for a few steps before coming to his aid.

"Alright, alright," he said with a long suffering sigh. "Give me a minute to sort out my shift and I'll see you home." Dean snorted, now fully appreciating the effects of his inebriation.

"I can get myself home. I don't need you. Or Sam. Or Xander. Or Cas. Or anyone..." he slurred. Spike patted him patronizingly.

"Sure..." Spike sighed internally. It was going to be a long night.