With a loud groan, Dean came all over his hand, grateful that Maggie's hearing wasn't sharp enough to catch the sound of his orgasm. It had seemed an absurd prospect at the time – moving in with an old lady who was pushing ninety – but it was turning out to not be so bad. Maggie had a sweet, if slightly ramshackle, home and let him do his own thing. She was surprisingly good company, telling him all about the Snow Oaks of old, feeding his insatiable appetite for history and fact.

They had bickered over the issue of rent, with Maggie refusing to accept any. Dean finally let the matter drop, but promised himself that he'd whip the house into shape before he left. He was still intent on leaving, even if the universe appeared to be dead set on keeping him in town. With a month of pay in his back pocket, he could take a little time for himself before choosing his next destination.

The endless amount of hot water was a huge bonus at Maggie's place. However, as appealing as spending the evening in the shower was, he had places to be – namely, 613 Hawthorne Avenue. It was his first night at work, and he didn't want to be late. Although Dean's pride felt short-changed, being forced to work at a pity job, his brain knew better and was willing to coerce his body into carrying out whatever tasks were required in order to ensure his survival. That's what it was at this point - surviving, not thriving in life.

Throwing on his uniform of jeans, a t-shirt and leather jacket, he stuffed his feet into work boots and jammed a woollen beanie on his head so as to avoid catching a chill while his hair was still wet. Snow Oaks was deep in October at that point, with the changing cycle of the moon casting an eerie, ethereal glow on the town. It wore the spooky aesthetic well. The wind was rising, with leaves crackling and whipping around him as he hurried toward the other side of town.

He couldn't say that he was delighted, or even merely content, to be walking up that same pathway that had previously led to his humiliation, but it was better than sleeping on the streets. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand and sounded the bell, smiling slightly when he heard the ominous gong reverberate throughout the huge house.

To his surprise, it wasn't Nikki or Seth who opened the door, but the demi-god that they had shared their evening with at the charity gala. Dean knew that surprise was written on his features, but didn't have the wherewithal to school them into a more neutral expression.

"Dean, it's great to see you again," the man said warmly, shaking his hand. "I didn't get a chance to introduce myself the other night. I'm Roman."

"I'm…Dean," he replied, not even bothered anymore by his habit of saying dumb stuff. It wasn't like he would see this guy much before it was time to leave. "Seth told me to be here at eight, so here I am."

"Right, he mentioned that, come on in." Roman stepped back, allowing Dean to enter. The dude was throwing off a really nice smell, he was probably wearing some expensive ass aftershave.

Dean ventured further into the entrance hall, visually retracing all of the things that he had encountered on his first night there. He was still in awe of the place, but knowing that he had an escape route in a month's time filled him with slightly more self-confidence. He could handle whatever was thrown at him.

Even Seth.

He almost toppled to the floor when Nikki tackle hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. He had been so absorbed in the grandeur of the place that he hadn't noticed her come hurtling in from the kitchen.

"I'm so glad you're staying," she mumbled into the fabric of his shirt, squeezing him extra tightly.

"For a month," he reminded her gently. "But me too. It would've sucked not to have said goodbye to you. You've been so good to me, Nikki. I want you to know that I truly appreciate it."

She took a step back to look up at him, her eyes wet with unshed tears. "Oh god, you're going to turn me into a big sap! I can't cry, I just did my make up. Don't you dare ever leave without saying goodbye. I'd track you down and kick your ass for that."

He chuckled, widening his eyes and nodding in agreement. "Damn right you would."

"Oh, and Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Everything that happens to you from this point on, you deserve. You're a sweetheart and now you're going to get all of the good things."

He half-laughed, shifting his gaze to his shoes, not knowing how to respond to that.

"Have you eaten?" Her big brown eyes were full of concern, looking as if she was ready to run right back into the kitchen to fix him up a meal.

"Yeah, filled myself up," he assured her. "It's best to work on a full tummy."

"Hey, Dean."

His head swivelled to take in the newest arrival, spotting Seth walking toward them from another wing of the house.

"Hi, Seth. Here I am, reporting for duty."

Seth laughed and finished tying his hair up, offering his hand to Dean. "Don't worry, we'll start you off nice and slow."

Dean gulped silently as they shook hands, thinking it was an oddly formal gesture considering their recent history. It didn't help that Seth was so…careless with his words. He had to realise that Dean was hooked on him. But did he have to keep casually dropping sexual statements into polite conversation? The accompanying handshake didn't help anything either, Seth's big warm hand meeting his own, his index finger lightly brushing up over his wrist. Dean hoped that Seth couldn't feel his pulse quicken at the touch.

"Where do you need me?" Dean asked, shrugging his way out of the handshake to flick his hair out of his eyes.

Seth watched him for a moment, his tongue tracing his lower lip.

"Come into the kitchen," Nikki piped up, taking hold of Dean's elbow and guiding him, shooting a warning look at Seth over her shoulder.

"You been cooking?"

"Why yes, I have," she replied, settling him down on a stool at the kitchen island. "I'm a master-chef. I should be on TV."

"Damn right you should," Roman chipped in, having silently followed along with Seth. "You're the best I've ever had."

The three of them slanted curious looks at him, prompting him to blurt out, "The best food. You make the best food!"

"Thanks, handsome," Nikki winked, pulling a steaming hot lasagne from the oven and serving up a generous portion…almost overly generous.

"What's this?" Dean asked when she placed it in front of him.

"Dinner. For you," she smiled, pushing a bowl of salad across the counter to him.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. "I really appreciate it, Nikki, but I already ate. I promised Seth that I'd help him out around here, and I'm a man of my word, so I better get to work."

A brief flash of hurt passed over her pretty face, before she glanced down and picked at the fringe of a placemat. "Okay."

"I don't mean to sound like an asshole," he murmured quietly, leaning toward her, keeping his voice down so as not to be heard by the other two men in the room. "I already feel like enough of a charity case, I really want to work and feel like I've got a purpose again. I'm sure that food is delicious, my mouth's watering just looking at it, but I've gotta do this for me."

She looked at him, smiling. "I get it. But at least let me give you a doggie bag before you leave?"

"Of course," he grinned, relieved not to have upset her.

Nikki had been an ally since day one, he valued her loyalty and kindness. The last thing he would ever want to do was hurt her.

"Where do you need me, boss?"

Seth twitched slightly, swallowing with some difficulty before recovering his composure. "…The sunroom."

Roman snorted loudly, turning away to stifle it when the others stared at him. "Sorry. Allergies."

Dean caught the strange look that Seth was giving the large man, puzzled by the sudden change in atmosphere.

"Uh, Seth, why don't you go show Dean around and I'll take care of this boy and his allergies?" Nikki piped up, steering Roman out of the room.

"This way," Seth said, gesturing with his hand.

Dean fell into step beside him, his eyes raking in this section of the house that he hadn't seen before.

"How have you been?" Seth asked, attempting to sound casual. "Everything going okay for you at Maggie's place…?"

Dean restrained himself from rolling his eyes, wondering if Seth thought he was pulling off subtlety. "Yep, things are going great. Maggie's a sweet lady, and really generous. She feeds me up. I gotta start running or something, or I'll be waddling about soon, and I'm guessing you need me to be a bit more agile for this job."

"Maggie's doing the right thing," Seth answered seriously, either ignoring Dean's humour or missing it entirely. He ran his eyes over Dean's lean yet muscular frame, as if taking mental measurements. "It's important that you eat right. You have to nourish your body, sustain your wellbeing."

"Thanks, Dr. Rollins," Dean said playfully, trying to poke fun and lift the weird atmosphere that had followed them from the kitchen. "But I do take good care of myself. I'm grown, I had to figure that stuff out a long time ago."

Seth regarded him with curiosity, but chose not to delve further. He laughed sheepishly, "Sorry, giving unsolicited health advice is a bad habit of mine. A hangover from my old job."

"You seem very young to be a doctor," Dean remarked, feeling a lot more comfortable in pushing Seth on certain details. He had been the one who insisted that Dean stay in Snow Oaks, he owed Dean a few answers in return.

Seth instantly tensed, coughing into his fist. "I'm not that young. I guess I just started early in life."

"Why'd you stop doing it?"

"It wasn't for me," Seth lied easily, stopping in front of a set of French doors and swinging them open. "Here we are."

Although cloaked in a new bravery, Dean didn't want to push too deep. It wouldn't do any good to get attached to these people. They were too nice. If he gave himself the opportunity to know them better, he would have a difficult time in letting go when he inevitably moved on. He had to protect himself.

Dean stepped into the large room, hands on his hips, turning around to take it all in. The space was open and airy – completely at odds with the gothic aesthetic of the rest of the house.

"No offence, but this room doesn't make any sense," he announced.

"You caught that too, huh?" Seth asked with a rueful smile. "It was an experiment, one that didn't exactly work out. It doesn't fit in with the rest of the house, so I was wondering if you'd be able to…fix it."

"Sure, that won't be a problem," Dean agreed, walking over to the large windows overlooking the gardens, running his hands over the light coloured wood. "What did you have in mind?"

"Nothing," Seth admitted. "You have free rein with it. Just…make it fit."

"Okay, cool. I'll make you a moon room."

"Sounds perfect."

Dean quirked an eyebrow at him, "…I was kidding."

"Maybe there's something to that idea. This isn't the home of a sun worshipper."

"That's surprising, you and Nikki are both so tan," Dean remarked, pulling out a little notebook and pen from his back pocket, scribbling down a few ideas.

Seth coughed into his fist again, smiling sheepishly. "Yeah…"

"Hey Seth, you wanna play some pool?" Roman asked, strolling into the room.

"Your allergies all sorted out?" Seth shot back, throwing him an odd look.

"Yup," Roman replied, apparently oblivious to the snide bite in Seth's tone.

"I dunno, Dean needs me here," Seth stated, clearly unwilling to leave.

"No, it's cool, man," Dean assured him, gesturing at his notebook. "I'm gonna throw a couple ideas together and figure out quotes tomorrow in town. I won't do anything without getting the all clear from you. Go ahead, enjoy your game."

"No, really," Seth insisted. "I don't mind hanging around, I could help you."

"That'd kinda defeat the purpose of hiring me to work for you, wouldn't it?" Dean teased gently, puzzled by Seth's sudden eagerness to be near him. "If I have any problems, I'll come get you, boss."

Seth opened his mouth, preparing to protest, but dropped the idea suddenly, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Um, okay. If you need anything, and I mean anything, just yell. I have pretty good hearing, I'll hear you."

"Will do," Dean said, smiling at him.

Roman draped an arm around Seth's shoulders and grinned, "Ready to get your ass whooped, boy?"

Dean shuddered at the scene in front of him, partly sad, partly aroused. They made such a beautiful couple. He could feel his shaft growing stiff in his pants at the sight, and turned abruptly to face the windows again. He didn't need to see them in all of their perfection, loving on one another. They could take that shit elsewhere and he would be just fine, immersing himself in his work.

Dean had always found comfort in working hard. Breaking a sweat in the name of achieving an objective made him feel good. Worthwhile. He had an inherent talent for taking raw materials and transforming them into something practical…sometimes, even beautiful. Despite his initial reluctance in accepting Seth's offer, he was determined to produce something magical. He could finally show Seth and Nikki…and Roman that he was more than the weird homeless guy that they had taken pity on.

He spent the next couple of hours drawing up plans, measuring the space, scribbling down intricate lists of materials and potential suppliers. Nikki dropped by several times, leaving plates of snacks and a jug of lemonade, asking if she could be of assistance. He thanked her each time, assuring her that he was getting by just fine. It was sweet of her to check up on him, but he wanted her and Seth to see him in a new light…as more of an equal to them. Truthfully, he could never match up to them, but he could damn well try his best.

He didn't see Seth again until early the next morning, the grandfather clock in the entrance hall gonging deeply, signalling the third hour of the new day. He entered the sunroom silently, watching Dean work for a few moments, before clearing his throat to announce his presence.

Bright blue eyes looked up in surprise, lips curling into a small smile when he saw Seth.

"How's it going?" Seth asked, moving closer, trying to catch a glimpse of the plans.

"Good. Great, actually." Dean smiled, gesturing at the mass of detailed maps that he had generated. "It's a beautiful space, I think I can do something pretty amazing with it. I wanna go into town tomorrow, well, later today, and get some quotes. I'm going to make you proud."

"I never doubted it," Seth replied, his voice soft. "Do you need anything? You must be tired. Do you need to take a rest? You haven't stopped since you got here. It's almost morning, stay here. Nikki can drive you home later, after you've slept."

Although appreciated, Seth's concern felt misplaced. Dean was his employee, he'd only worked a few hours, and the work hadn't even been physical. Shouldn't Seth be hanging out with…or banging…his boyfriend? You know, the god with the face of an angel?

"I'll be alright. I'm pretty much finished with this for the night, anyway. I was gonna head out, catch some sleep, and go meet the suppliers when stores open…unless there's something else you need from me?"

Seth didn't reply right away, watching Dean with an unreadable expression. "Are you sure you won't stay?"

"Yeah, I don't really like leaving Maggie alone too much, anyway." Dean had grown particularly close to the older lady. She had gone out on a limb for him, he wanted to look out for her as best he could in return.

Seth sighed imperceptibly, but nodded his understanding. "I really appreciate you coming here tonight, Dean. You're doing me a major solid."

Dean blinked. "What? You're the one helping me out. Without you, I'd still be sleeping on a bench and getting my meals from the soup kitchen. I don't know why you'd want to help a guy like me out, but I'm thankful that you did."

Normally, Dean would be embarrassed to share such sentiments but, having lived as he had of late, he didn't feel like holding them back anymore. Losing everything gave you a whole new perspective on life.

Buoyed by bravery, Dean moved toward Seth, carefully placing his arms around the other man, tucking his chin on to his shoulder, squeezing him tightly. Although the hug only lasted a few seconds, it filled Dean with a sense of warmth and comfort. The hug had an entirely different effect on Seth, his muscles frozen and tight, not knowing how to respond to such unexpected affection.

Dean stepped back, a sheepish smile on his face. "That was a little random, sorry. Just…thank you."

"You're welcome," Seth breathed out quietly, frustrated by his inability to find the right words at the right time when it came to all matters Dean. "I'm…glad I could do something."

"You won't regret giving me this opportunity," Dean promised, determined to do a good job for Seth. As much as he wanted to leave Snow Oaks, this final project would help Seth and go some way toward restoring Dean's confidence. It was a much-needed reminder that he was capable and could be of use to others. He hated feeling worthless, or being a burden.

"I know, Dean," Seth agreed, nodding. "I have faith in you. I know you'll do a wonderful job."

Dean's blue eyes took on a new hue as tears misted over them. He shook his head, looking down at the ground, taking a moment to mess with his fringe and tamp down on the tears. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at Seth, "I'll be back tomorrow night. We're gonna turn this into the best damn moon room there's ever been."

Seth laughed, a warm feeling pulsing in his chest. It felt so good to see Dean happy, his smile was a sight to behold. "Wait, let me drive you home."

Dean raised his eyebrows – did Seth even drive? Didn't he have a fancy chauffeur to ferry him about? "Nah, that's okay. I like the walk. See you tomorrow, Seth."

"See you tomorrow, Dean," Seth replied, watching him leave.

Despite dawn being only an hour away, Seth felt buzzed up and restless. He wandered aimlessly through the house, eventually ending up in the library. He flopped down into his chair and gazed at his massive collection of books. He was a fiend for knowledge, soaking it up like a sponge, his appetite insatiable. And yet, books didn't always have the answers. Dean was a prime example of that – books could never tell Seth how to deal with the feelings that the other man roused in him. It was all so very inconvenient…and exciting.

His eyes landed on the drawer in his desk…the one that contained Dean's blood. Seth had been truthful with Nikki, he had yet to taste the gift that Dean had provided. Maybe now was the right time. Perhaps tasting him would give Seth a greater insight into the man, how to help him and better understand him.

And yeah, okay, he was really, really desperate to experience him.

Sliding the drawer open, he carefully placed the bag of blood on the desk in front of him, unsealing the tab and holding it up to his mouth. He sniffed, familiarising himself with the unique scent of Dean. He wanted to savour the moment. Something niggled at him, suggesting that this was a momentous step. He had never craved a taste so badly before.

Tentatively, he pressed the tab to his lips, tilting the bag so as to allow the dark red substance to run into his mouth. He had intended to only take a small taste, but found himself gulping it down, the hunger so raw and feral.

With self-control honed over many years, he managed to drag his mouth away from the tab, settling the bag down, mindful not to spill a single drop. He dropped his head into his hands, fingers clenching in his hair, his mind zoning in on the molecules on his tongue.

The world around him melted away, his focus directed solely on the taste of Dean. It was indescribable, like nothing he had ever encountered before. Full of rich variation and…life. Contradictions and questions, courage and resilience. But there was something else there…heartache.

Seth squeezed his eyes shut, unable to bear the thought of all the misery that Dean had endured in his short life. Although he didn't have all of the answers, he knew that he would do everything in his power to ensure that misery never visited him again. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes, noting the unfamiliar tremor in his hands, frowning at the weakness.

The shaking stopped almost as quickly as it had arrived, replaced by a sudden, sharp pain in Seth's head.

Oh shit.

This couldn't be happening.

…He was fucked.

A/N: Thank you for reading, and being patient when waiting for updates! I pour everything I have into my stories and worked on over 3,800 words for this chapter, so I would appreciate it if you would leave a review. I'm curious to hear how you think things are progressing, or where Dean, Seth, Nikki and Roman might be headed next.

G'wannnnn, a review would make my day. Happy holidays!