Could You Just Hold Me? 35/50
Chapter 35
Through the kitchen window Bobby watched Nick and Dean at the Impala. Even after two weeks it was a strange sight to see. Bobby didn't care if Dean was with a man or a woman and if Bobby was honest, Nick had grown on him, so it wasn't that what baffled him.
What still baffled him was the fact that Dean was with somebody. He knew this went for over a year now but actually seeing them together? With Dean clearly in love with this young man? That was something Bobby had never thought he would see. Sam, yes, Sam craved normality, the apple pie life how Dean had once phrased it. But Dean? So far Dean had been content with occasional one-night stands, just a little fun, not strings attached. That was exactly how this whole thing had started, Bobby remembered. Just a little fun for one night. And now they were together for a year.
Bobby shook his head and followed them with his eyes until they disappeared around the corner. Dean had taken his Colt so Bobby was pretty sure where they were going but he was surprised by Dean's choice of weapon. It was his favorite gun, sure, but Sam's Taurus would be easier to handle for a beginner.
Bobby continued with the dishes, for some reason everybody else in the house thought they got cleaned by magic, and it didn't take long and he heard a distant shot. One shot and only silence after that. Which was strange. Dishes forgotten Bobby strained his ears. Dean knew how to handle a gun and for sure he wouldn't hand one over to Nick without making sure that Nick knew enough to not shoot himself or anybody else.
When they came back in view Bobby breathed easier. Dean put the gun back in the trunk and said something to Nick who looked anything but happy.
That lesson didn't go well, Bobby figured but he hadn't pegged Nick for somebody who felt comfortable with a gun in the first place.
Bobby finished the dishes and then went over to the study where he found Sam reading. By now he'd expected to find Nick here as well but the boy was nowhere in sight. Thinking about it Bobby couldn't even recall if he'd heard the front door or not.
Sensing him Sam looked up from his book with a questioning look.
"I have to run some errands." He announced. "You need something?"
"I'm good." Sam turned back to his book. "Thanks, Bobby."
"Keep an eye on the phones while I'm gone, would ya?" Bobby grabbed his jacket and the keys.
"Sure." Sam mumbled absently and Bobby could only hope that he would actually hear the phones engrossed as he was.
Outside he found Dean back to stripping down the junker and Nick sitting not too far away on the hood of another junker, scratching doodles in the ground with a broken off antenna.
"Hey, Nick." Bobby stepped closer but kept a distance he'd leaned Nick could handle. Nick was fine with Dean and for some reason Sam being close, even touching him without a warning, but everybody else coming too close Nick went stiff like a board.
Nick looked up and smiled at him.
"I have some things to do in town." Bobby said and leaned next to him at the car. From here he had an excellent view on Dean's ass and a stripe of skin where his t-shirt had ridden up a little bit. Dean's sweaty t-shirt clung tightly to the rest of his body, Bobby couldn't help but notice and hurried to look away. He had seen Dean like this a million times but this was the first time he realized what it must look like to Nick.
"Dean seems busy right now." Bobby observed. "You feel like coming with me? I could use an extra pair of hands. Or do you want to admire the view a little more?"
Caught Nick actually blushed and Dean's head poked up from under the hood with a "Hey!" and a grin that could only be described as lecherous in Nick's direction. It didn't help that he wiggled his backside, too.
With a frustrated growl Bobby pushed himself off the old car and headed towards his one. He didn't let his amused smile show until he was facing the other way.
"Wait." Nick hurried to catch up with him. "I'm coming with you."
Bobby nodded and tried to hide his surprise. So far Nick hadn't left Dean's side for long and if he did, he mostly traded Dean in for Sam. This was a huge step for Nick. Bobby made eye-contact with Dean who looked similar surprised but gave him a shrug.
Their first stop was at Inquiring Minds mainly because Bobby thought they should start with a place and a person Nick already knew.
Adela was busy with a customer and only acknowledged them with a nod when they entered the bookstore, but her eyes lit up when she noticed Nick.
Bobby and Nick browsed the shelves and by the time Adela had time for them, Nick was flipping through one book with three others piled next to him and Bobby honestly considered leaving him in the store while he ran his errands. Just like a little Sammy so many years ago Nick seemed content here.
"Bobby Singer." Adela greeted him with a hug. "And Nick Perkins what a pleasant counterpart to that old mug over there." She pointed with the thumb over her shoulder at Bobby and reached out with her other hand for Nick.
Bobby bit back the comment on his tongue and marveled at Adela's tactfulness towards Nick. Usually this woman was quick with hugging people she knew for five minutes, she loved hugging, but now she just shook hands with Nick and then stepped back to give him some room. And Bobby doubted that Nick or the Winchesters had told her what had happened to Nick.
"I have your books in the back, Bobby." Adela said but her attention stayed on Nick. "You wouldn't mind helping an old lady with a heavy box of books, would you?" She smiled at Nick.
"You're not old."
"Old enough to shame you into doing the work for me." Adela replied easily and Nick couldn't help but laugh at that.
"Woman, you are something." Bobby adjusted his cap and didn't let on how glad he was that it wasn't him stuck with that box. Books were heavy.
"Took you that long to notice?" She led the way to the back where in a corner Bobby's books waited for them. The cardboard box didn't look like much but with books that was deceptive.
However, that wasn't the only box in the room and it was far from being the largest. Usually the three of them would fit in the back room easily, leaving enough space for Adela to gather the thing she kept in the shelves at the back without any kind of trouble. Now Bobby wasn't even sure where to put his feet.
"What is all this?" Bobby had a look around. Most of the boxes were closed but some were open, showing books and things wrapped up in newspaper pages.
"This idiot had no idea what his father's collection is worth." She answered with a smug grin. "I really hope his old man was cremated because if he ever finds out his son sold the work of his lifetime for a fraction of its worth." She let out a soft whistle. "He's going to haunt his son's ass."
Nick made a surprised noise at her choice of words but Bobby just shook his head in amusement.
"The only thing is that my back is protesting already at the very thought of unpacking and cataloging all this." She made a wide gesture around the room. "Guess I ain't getting younger."
"I'm telling you for years to get some help." Bobby replied not unkindly because he knew exactly what she was talking about. He wasn't getting younger, too.
"And I'm telling you that I can't just grab someone off the street. Won't be much of a help if they freak out as soon as somebody asks about books on virgin sacrifices or if we have dried lamb liver in stock." She tapped the box in front of her with the tip of her shoe. "At least get this out of here so I can actually turn around."
Bobby stepped back to give Nick some room to pick up the box but the boy didn't move. Instead he had a thoughtful look around the crammed room.
"I could help you with this." He offered shyly, avoiding eye contact with both of them.
"Thank you, Nick." She patted his arm. "But you don't have to. I wanted to shame you into carrying this one box and not going through this mess here. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"No, please." Nick's voice suddenly had a desperate edge. "I'd love to help. If you want me to."
Adela, clearly at a loss, threw a glance at Bobby who was holding his breath at the scene in front of him. He wasn't sure if this was a good idea, leaving Nick with an almost stranger, but on the other hand he was proud of the boy for offering this. Reluctantly he gave Adela a little nod.
"If you insist." She agreed. "But I'm paying you. This is going to be honest work so you'll get honest money for it."
"Yes, ma'am." Nick grinned at her.
"Okay, take this out to the car and then we can start." Once again she tapped the box and this time Nick didn't hesitate to carry it out.
"Something I should know?" Adela asked when Nick was out of earshot and Bobby wasn't surprised that she knew that Nick was a little off his game at the moment. But which hunter wasn't?
"Keep your distance." Bobby answered after he'd thought about the question. "He doesn't like people too close. This is the first time he isn't with Dean or Sam, I am actually surprised I could pry him off Dean, so I have no idea how he will react." He adjusted his cap. "But I think he's going to be fine."
Adela nodded at that. "I call if something happens but I think we'll get along."
Bobby hoped so. Then Nick was back and Bobby had no excuses left to stay. But he promised to pick Nick up in a few hours and reminded him to call if he wanted to get picked up earlier.
Bobby left the store and sat in his car for a long minute with an uneasy feeling in his guts.
This is good, he reminded himself. Nick went out of his shell on his own accord and that was really good. Dean's going to kill me.
With a sigh he started the engine. The sooner he got going the sooner he could go back and bring that boy home.
"Hey, Earl." Bobby entered the liquor store and greeted the man behind the counter.
"Bobby." Earl answered but he didn't sound that friendly today.
Maybe trouble with a customer, Bobby thought and went to get his things. He'd bought his liquor here for years so he could find his way around blindly and a minute later he placed the bottles on the counter. More than usual but he had three young men in his house who all weren't strangers to hard liquor.
"Heard your nephews are in town." Earls said while he ringed the bottles up.
"Yeah." Bobby searched for the right bills. "You know how they are, only coming by for a visit when they need a place to rest up for a while."
"Heard they're not alone this time." Now Earl gave him a hard look. "Never thought they would besmirch you and your house like that. I'm telling you, I would have thrown them out right on the spot."
Agape Bobby stared at him.
"You're a nice guy, Bobby." Earl leaned forward and his tone was too friendly all of a sudden. "Always a good customer. But you should think about how to deal with such obscenity under your roof. It would be a shame to lose a good customer like you."
Bobby fisted his money before Earl could snag it out of his hand.
"You know what?" He stuffed the bills back in his pocket. "You already lost your good customer."
Muttering under his breath Bobby left the store.
continue to chapter 36
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