Could You Just Hold Me? 15/50
Chapter 15
Why didn't he tell me? That was the question circling in Bobby's mind on the short drive back to the motel. Back to Dean and his boyfriend.
Sam wouldn't give him an answer to that one, he didn't even try, and the answers Bobby came up with on his own … were unsettling.
Because he doesn't trust you, was the most obvious one. Was Dean afraid of how Bobby might react?
All Bobby ever wanted was for them to be happy. Sam had found his Jess and as horrible as it had ended Bobby was glad that Sam had found her, that Sam had been happy with her even if it had been only for a short time.
For Dean Bobby had always hoped that he would get past that skirt chasing one night stand phase and would find someone special. Living a hunter's life that wasn't likely, Bobby knew that, but he could still hope, right? Apparently Dean had found his someone special a year ago, though.
Okay, Bobby had to admit that it was a surprise that this someone was a man. As far as he knew Dean had never shown any interest in somebody without lady parts but if he was honest, he only got glimpses of the boys' lives. Sad but true.
Glancing at Sam he wondered for how long he'd know about his brother's interest in men.
"You know he could have told me."
"It's not that easy." Sam kept his eyes on the traffic, avoiding to meet Bobby's.
"Just in case you haven't figured it out yourself by now." Bobby sighed. "It's okay. I'm happy he has somebody and I don't care if it's a man or a woman as long as Dean is happy."
"Thanks, Bobby." Sam gave him a smile which Bobby couldn't quite make sense of.
"At least Nick has Dean to help him through this." Bobby continued. "You know he's most likely poisoned by the succubus' venom."
"I know." Sam's face was unreadable. They reached the motel and Sam hadn't even shut the engine down when Dean came out of the door.
"How is he?" Was Sam's first question.
"Sleeping." Dean leaned against the car as if he needed something to hold him upright.
"Sammy, I screwed up."
Sam reached for his brother but let his hand drop back to his side when Bobby came around the car.
Dean straightened like a soldier ready to rapport and not for the first Bobby wished John was still alive so he could kick his ass.
"I thought I killed her but apparently she's still around." Dean rubbed his mouth. "And she took it out on Nick."
"I know." Sam sneaked a little closer, comforting his brother by just being there. "She left you a message. That now you're even."
"Dammit." He slammed his fist on the roof of his car with a lout bang. "I should have made sure."
"Cut it, boy." Bobby stepped in. "She had you in her claws for a while before you got the drop on her. You were high on her poison and you still got her good enough to think she was gone for good. This is not your fault, Dean." It had to be said but Bobby was pretty sure that Dean would beat himself up over this anyway. "The clock's ticking, I'd say you get your boyfriend over to my place before it gets bad."
"My what?" Dean flinched back as if Bobby had slapped him in the face. "Sam?"
"Dude, I had to tell him something." Sam hold his hands up in defense. "The landlord saw you and Nick this morning."
"Nick was right, he is a douchebag." Dean scratched the back of his head and looked everywhere but Bobby.
"Congrats to your anniversary, by the way." Bobby said and he could only hope that Dean got the message behind his rough tone. "And for sure you owe me an explanation for why you didn't feel like you could tell me."
"Bobby, I …" Dean started but Bobby cut him off.
"But for now let's focus on Nick." He continued. "You know what he's been through and what's coming. Get him over to my place, it's safe and comfortable there."
Both Winchesters stared at him in awe.
"What?" Bobby adjusted his cap. "You thought I'd kick you out or something? You should know me better than that."
"Thanks, Bobby." Dean's voice was thick with emotions.
The brothers exchanged one of their looks and this one seemed to be a let's-roll-with-it-one. A minute later they had a plan. Dean would take Nick to Bobby's while Sam and Bobby stayed back to find the succubus. It was more to give Dean and Nick some privacy than anything else, they all knew that, but nobody pointed it out.
"Idjits." Bobby muttered under his breath when he watched Sam with a bundle of clothes for Nick following Dean inside. Sam was back outside almost immediately and went straight for the trunk to get his own stuff.
When Dean and Nick came out not long after that, Bobby tried to not stare at him. Sure, he was curious to find out more about the man Dean had been with for a year now but this was also the man who had been raped by a supernatural monster only hours ago. Nick moved like he was in pain and he stayed close to Dean, avoiding Bobby completely, but seemed to be comfortable with the crushing bear hug Sam gave him.
"Drive fast, Dean." Bobby patted his shoulder. "You can stay at my place as long as you want. My door is always open for you, you know that. And for Nick, too."
Dean didn't say anything but he didn't have to, it was all there in his eyes. He nodded and then hurried to get on the road.
Bobby and Sam waited until they were out of sight before they turned and headed inside.
"Which bed do you want?" Bobby asked because he didn't know what else to say. Sam dropped his bag on the one in the back, the one Nick had obviously napped in, and so that was settled.
"We should talk to the police, find out what the official version of this is." Sam said and started rummaging in his bag. "See if they have any leads."
"Sam, stop it." Bobby had to raise his voice to get through to Sam. "It's getting late. We should find something to eat, get some sleep and talk to the police first thing in the morning."
Sam stared at him, jaw twitching and a haunted look in his eyes but then he gave in.
"You're right." He threw his suit pants back in his bag and collapsed next to it on the bed. "It's just …"
Bobby sat down on his own bed. "I know."
The look Sam gave him clearly said that Sam didn't think Bobby knew shit but Bobby chose to ignore it.
"Pizza or Chinese?" Bobby asked instead. "Your choice, I'm buying."
Sam hit the shower while they waited for the pizza, more to avoid him than anything else, Bobby guessed. However, that gave Bobby some time to clear his head as well.
There were so many questions he wanted to ask, most of them he should probably direct at Dean and not Sam, but Sam was here and they had an evening to kill and everything that helped to take their minds off what Nick was enduring was welcomed.
Usually how they had met the first time was a good opener but given Nick's profession, Bobby doubted he should start with that.
Dean had never been as guarded about his sex life as he was about other things, so Bobby knew a few things. For example that Dean wasn't a stranger to prostitutes but that most of the time he didn't have or want to rely on that option if he was in the mood for sex. He liked the hunt.
And at the same time Dean had managed to leave out such a huge part about himself. Hell, yesterday Bobby would have laughed at anybody suggesting Dean was anything but straight as a stick.
"This Nick." Bobby started when they sat down with their pizza. "What's he like?"
Sam took his time to chew thoroughly before he answered.
"He's great." He chose his words carefully. "He has humor, he's loyal and caring. He's good for Dean. For us."
"You like him?" Of course he did. Bobby hadn't seen much interaction between those two but what he'd seen was enough. The way Sam had tried to shield the truth from Bobby spoke for itself.
"Yeah, I do." Sam answered with a wistful smile and that told Bobby more than words could ever bring across. The brothers rarely split up so Sam had most likely been with Dean every time he came here to visit his boyfriend. Bobby could easily picture all three of them having dinner or hanging out at a bar, Dean wouldn't cut his brother out just because he was with someone. Dean liked his family around which brought Bobby back to the question why Dean hadn't told him. Bobby considered himself family but maybe Dean didn't?
They ate in silence for a while and then they sat back with a healthy shot of Bobby's Jack Daniels. They needed it.
"You're really okay with this?" Sam had a question of his own. He tried to sound casual but failed miserably.
"Why shouldn't I?" Bobby wracked his brain if he'd ever said or did something that could have led them to the conclusion that he was against this kind of relationship.
Hunters lived a short and lonely life, they should consider love as a rare gift no matter if it came from a man or a woman.
Bobby chased the thought of Karen that was suddenly in his mind away with the rest of his drink.
"Don't know." Sam put his glass on the table and leaned back with a sigh. "Dean tries hard to keep his womanizer image intact, this must be quite a surprise for you."
"Believe me, it is." Bobby poured them a second shot.
"And you know what Nick does for a living." Sam added.
Yeah, that was another point. Bobby hmmed and nipped at his drink.
"Is Dean okay with that?" Because that was the important point here. He thought about all the women Dean had bragged about over the last year, trying to remember if Dean had actually mentioned more than flirting. He didn't think so. Bobby could imagine a lot of things but if Dean was going steady with someone, he couldn't picture him keeping up his one night stand routine at the side. Not Dean.
Nick on the other hand had apparently kept working. But he had to live from something, Bobby got that.
"It's not that he didn't know from the beginning." Sam confirmed Bobby's suspicion. So it had started with Dean paying. "Dean knows the difference between love and sex."
"Did Nick know about what Dean does?"
"Not until today."
They finished their drinks and turned on the TV because neither of them was ready for bed just yet. Judging by the way Sam kept glancing at his phone Bobby wasn't the only one wondering how Nick was doing.
Not good, was the most likely answer to that one but there was nothing they could do.
All they could do was to get some sleep and to find that succubus bitch in the morning.
They stayed up late that night, watching TV without really watching it. When they finally settled in for the night Bobby stared into the darkness for a long time, thoughts running through his head, keeping him awake. He tried to keep the images of what Dean and Nick were probably doing right now out of his mind and at the same time he felt sorry for what the young man had to suffer through. At least he had Dean to help him.
Sam's breathing didn't sound like he was sleeping either.
continue to chapter 16
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