Two stories in just over a week? That is the power of Ambrollins for you. I want to thank you on the feedback I received on my last story. It really motivates to know that people enjoyed it. As for this story right here, I hope you like it all the same! I've never written an AU piece before, so it's something new for me. Let me know what you think of it with a review! Doesn't take much time but it makes my day. It also helps the writing mood I've been in as of late ;)

Seth needed the money. That's what he told himself every night, repeated it like a mantra walking into the dive bar he tended in, a grungy, grimy bar barely frequented by anyone. And despite the lack of clientele, he was still forced to follow a dress code, button up shirt, dress pants and all. He didn't understand the logic behind it nor did he care to. He just needed the money. That was all.

His work nights were repetitive, monotonous. He would come in, check if there was enough alcohol on hand, go down the dingy staircase behind him to pick up the necessary bottles from a more than questionable basement they used as stock, then proceed to serve his patrons. They mostly consisted of middle aged men looking to drown their sorrows and pick up women who were just as miserable, or old men wanting to rub up against any living, breathing human being. Sometimes Seth was the victim of such attempts, which made him want to reach for a bucket and puke in it. Nothing worthwhile had come out of that bar. Absolutely nothing.

One night, a group of people walked into the bar, immediately grabbing Seth's attention. They were close to Seth's age, looking like they were in their mid to late twenties. They were bringing in new life with them. One of them especially caught Seth's eye. He had icy blue eyes that shone from across the room. He was quite tall with messy rusty blonde hair, wearing a black leather jacket with blue jeans that fit his figure just right. He could tell that his body was toned, lean muscles casting a shadow through his clothes. He was gorgeous. He looked he'd rolled straight out of a movie. He had this aura about him, an aura that pulled Seth like a moth to a flame. He was the moving personification of Seth's wet dream. He had to physically stop himself from ogling him in fear that he'd get caught redhanded. And to make sure he was doing his job properly. Obviously. A couple of them came up to order drinks from Seth, while the hot guy he'd been staring at stood back in wait in the main area.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see that the group headed for the small stage the manager had set up in the corner of the bar. It was Wednesday, which meant it was karaoke night, which Seth saw no fucking point in since no one ever participated in it. All they had was a jukebox to go off and a tele screen for the lyrics that worked one time out of ten. Despite the modest setup, they made it work and for the most part, Seth found himself entertained. Their very heartfelt performances of songs raised a chuckle out of him. Their rendition of I Will Survive was particularly amusing to Seth. The hot guy was so deep in character, it made Seth laugh in the collar of his shirt. He was moving effortlessly to the melody. He seemed so chill and laid-back. He definitely knew how to have fun. It made him even more appealing to Seth, who might as well have been throwing heart eyes his way. Seth's cheeks were turning red without even speaking a word to this man. He had to get his act together.

Any internal oath to calm down went straight out of the window when the mysterious man approached the bar, standing right in front of Seth. Seth could feel himself go static, his heart beating right out of his chest, a lump going down his throat. His eyes were even prettier upfront. "Can I have a beer, please?" His voice was deep and raspy and silky and oh god, he sounded better than Seth could've ever expected. Seth was so tempted to beg him to say something, say anything at all, just so he can hear him talk some more. His head was sent reeling from the mere sound of his voice that he forgot what the man even said at all. "Wh-what?" Seth was positively stuttering, losing the ability to properly hear and form a one word question.

"Beer?" The guy quirked a skeptic eyebrow at him and Seth was honestly too ashamed to estimate if there was a bit of amusement in his eyes too. He was like a deer caught in headlights. He was so fucking embarrassed. A hole in the ground could've abruptly opened up and swallowed him down and it would've been just fine by Seth. "Uh, yes, sure..."

Seth dropped his head and rapidly got a bottle of beer from the cooler with slightly unsteady hands. He was ridiculously flustered because of a man he didn't know at all, had barely exchanged a few words with and his job performance suffered as a result. He was a self-assured, confident bartender, ever the professional, even in this small, unorganized establishment. But right now, he was letting the effect of a complete stranger on him reduce him to a shell of who he usually was.

He subtly stroked his hands on his pants before serving the glass to the man in front of him. His palms had apparently gotten sweaty somewhere along the way. He peeked up shyly, as though the beautiful eyes looking at him would blind him just a bit less that way. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Seth could still sense a bit of curiosity in the way the man looked at him. But it didn't matter, because he swiftly turned around and walked back to his friends, drink in tow. Seth turned back to the bottle display, running his hands up and down his face. It was time to forget this impromptu and uninvited crush and get back to work.

Much to his mental anguish, the stranger and his friends hung around for a while longer. He kept praying for more clients to fill the stools in front of him, all while willing himself to not look over at the table they were sitting at. For the most part, he succeeded, which was a feat in and of itself. He couldn't help but indulge himself with a few seconds of gawking, though. Eventually, they got up, which disappointed and relieved Seth at the same time. They settled the tab, Seth having to leave his place behind the bar to collect it. Once in hand, Seth looked up and watched them go, their backs all turned towards him. Suddenly, right as they were about to cross the door, the mystery man glanced back at Seth with the same curiosity in his eyes he'd had before, the faintest of smirks adorning his face, stealing Seth's breath while he was at it. Their eye contact lasted for just a moment and before he knew it, he was out the door. So much for the man of his dreams walking in and out of his life. Truly a passing stranger in the night.

Seth couldn't lie and say that he forgot about the man overnight. He couldn't shake off the memory of his face, of his figure, of his charisma. But as days and nights went on with no sign of that guy reappearing, and god knows he'd been watching that door, that memory was impacting him less and less, even though it didn't fade in itself. He was back in the zone, immersed in his own work, fully concentrated. That trend continued until the following Wednesday night. It all came crumbling down when the gorgeous man entered the bar. His mind went blank, his heart pounding hard. So much for being in the zone again.

He had to be in control though, way more than he was last week. And he had to do it fast, because right off the bat, the guy came up to him, smooth as anything, and ordered everybody's drinks. Luckily, Seth heard everything from the first try, didn't trip when getting the alcohol and served every drink without shaking and dropping it everywhere. He counted it as a victory, even though the small "thanks" he received, along with a coy smile, very nearly rendered him to mush. When had he metamorphosed into a lovesick teenage girl?

He and his friends once again took the stage and sung their hearts out for karaoke night. Seth could barely take his eyes off his crush, his eyes trained on his fluid motions, his lips perking up in a smile at his rough-around-the-edges singing. Every Wednesday was the same old record, which for the first time, made Seth look forward to go to work - the hot guy would walk in, order his drinks from Seth, do karaoke with his friends and throw a little smile at Seth on his way out. The repetitiveness of it all allowed to ground Seth. He started getting used to the other man's presence. Although he wouldn't stop his fawning, he wasn't the nervous wreck he was the first time around. He was able to maintain his mojo around him, even if it'd been for the few seconds of preparing his drinks.

As the weeks went on, Seth noticed that the man's clique got smaller and smaller. He had originally walked in with a big group. But progressively, the guy was accompanied by fewer and fewer people, sometimes a couple of friends, until, at some point, he started coming in by himself. Seth wouldn't dare question why that was, his heart soaring in excitement at the sight of him alone. He didn't know why he was buzzing. He had the nagging hope in the pit of his stomach that maybe, just maybe, this was an opportunity to get to know him. Although he continued sitting in the main area of the bar, Seth could swear that he would see him peering at him through his lashes, sipping on his booze, catching Seth's gaze every now and then.

Even on his own, the guy would still do karaoke. One night, he sat a stool up on the stage and started singing. Seth was glad that the bar was close to empty, having virtually no patrons to tend to. It allowed him to rest his elbows on the counter and just watch the guy. He was singing Bohemian Rhapsody. He was swaying, his eyes shut, not a care in the world that he was off tune or that his pitch was all over the place. He was completely entranced by the song. It was adorable. Seth, in turn, was captivated, up until a patron's clamoring voice shook him out of his little daze, demanding another bottle of beer. Never had he been so tempted to tell a client to fuck off.

He heard the song come to an end while grabbing the beer and when he looked up, the guy was gone from the stage and out of sight. Seth was slightly irritated that he missed him leave, causing him to drop the cap off the beer bottle. He groaned and bent over to pick it up. "I see you're still as graceful as the first time you served me beer."

Oh good lord, it was his voice. The same voice that drove him mental, the one that haunted his dreams, his voice. It was him. And he actually uttered words that weren't 'beer', 'please' and 'thank you'. Seth stood straight and found his mystery man settling on the stool in front of him, a mischievous smirk on his face. He wanted someone to pinch him so badly, just to make sure it was real.

"Cut me some slack. I was having a bad day." Seth was impressed that the bold faced lie rolled off of his tongue effortlessly, but even more so that his brain didn't get fried at the sign of an actual conversation with the man.

"And tonight?"

"Total accident."

"Just saying," the man responded, raising his hands in the air. "Real graceful."

"I learned from the best. You know, from your fantastic singing performances."

Actual, spoken responses and now sass? Seth was shocked that he was keeping his cool as much as he was, not convoluting into the awkward mess he'd been in the other man's presence. He very nearly did though, as the smirk he was fixated on turned into a genuine smile and holy shit, the guy had dimples. It was adorable beyond belief.

"I'll have you know my voice is pretty fuckin' spectacular, thank you very much." He answered, placing his right hand over his heart in mock offense. He still had the same wide grin plastered on his face and Seth couldn't help but cave in and smile himself. His grin was just so damn contagious. They stared at each other for a moment, the other man's eyes holding a shred of scrutiny in them.

"I'm Dean."

"And I'm Seth." Seth was relieved to finally be able to put a name to a face. It was about damn time.

"So what's with the two blonde strands you've got going on there?" Dean asked, pointing at them with two of his fingers.

"Oh, those," Seth absentmindedly ran a hand through them, "just something I did out on a whim a couple of years back. Or at least what remains of it."

"It looks weird, man."

Seth let out an incredulous laugh. He was put under the microscope by a guy who barely knew him. "Oh, you are just laying it on thick with the compliments, aren't you?"

Dean pursed his lips and let out a small snort. "Weird in a good way, I meant."

"Sure you did." Seth answered with unconvinced sarcasm, dropping Dean's gaze and going back to rearranging glasses on the steel worktop.

"I do mean it! It suits you...in a weird kinda way." Seth chanced a look up at Dean, who had a gentle smile etched on his face and somehow, Seth knew it was genuine.

"Thank you." Seth looked at Dean with narrow, suspicious eyes. "I guess."

"You're welcome. Now get me a beer to show me your gratitude."

That night went down as a catalyst to a blossoming friendship between Seth and Dean. For all the nervousness he'd felt overtake his entire being at first, Seth had grown to be perfectly comfortable around Dean. It was all so easygoing. Discussion was exchanged so naturally between them, never forced. Dean would come in every Wednesday night to do his traditional karaoke, but made it a habit since to talk to Seth before and after it, sometimes late into the night, just before Seth's shift would come to a close. Hanging out with Dean was easily the highlight of Seth's day. He very much enjoyed his company, and it seemed that Dean enjoyed his' too. Over time, he started coming to the bar on nights other than Wednesdays, sometimes ordering just one drink that Seth would pass him on the house. Dean had even asked Seth for his number. Even though he barely knew how to text, he'd managed to ask about Seth's days off, just to avoid going when he wasn't there. Dean explained that he much preferred face-to-face conversations anyway.

Through the countless hours spent together, Seth came to learn a lot about Dean. He found out that they have several things in common. They were both lovers of fitness, seeing as Seth was a Crossfit enthusiast by day and bartender by night. Dean, on the other hand, was a minimalist in that sense. He could work out in a fancy gym with fancy equipment just like he could in a tiny, stuffy warehouse. They were both avid wrestling fans, recalling many memories and stories of their time watching it, Dean even mentioning promotions Seth had never heard of before. They enjoyed the same movies as well, both of them into comedy and horror, nothing else in between. When it came to music though, they were complete antagonists. Seth was a second away from outrage and laughter when debating that his taste in music was not "fuckin' weird, angry prepubescent boy bullshit" as Dean so eloquently described it. It was on that same night that Dean dedicated 'She Fucking Hates Me' to Seth, with the obvious change of pronouns.

A certain level of trust got established between both men. Dean gradually opened up to Seth about his past. He revealed that he'd grown up in particularly tough conditions, in a family ravished and dismantled by alcohol and drugs. He was the only man in his family to stay off the streets and not dabble with dealers and gangs. Instead, he focused on getting as many legal jobs as he could get, working overtime if he could, all in an attempt to get out of his neighborhood and leave it for good. He surpassed worlds of obstacles to become the man he was now, and Seth respected the hell out of that. His stories incited Seth to share some of his own, despite the fact that he hated delving in that part of his life. He too didn't lead the easiest of lives, growing up with a single mom who'd survived abuse and a painful divorce. She had to juggle job upon job to provide for him and his brothers, which only pushed Seth to start working young, refusing to let his mother tire herself to an early grave. Dean listened with open ears, let him pour his heart out. He understood Seth. And Seth understood him.

All the while, Seth felt something growing between them. He didn't know what it was. He just knew it was something. On top of the insane attraction he still felt towards him, Seth developed actual romantic feelings. He'd become so much more than the man whose taut figure would make his eyes burn. He'd grown addicted to Dean's dry laugh when he found something particularly funny. He loved the back-and-forth they would have, Dean giving Seth so much shit, while he didn't back down and returned it just as hard. Dean's dark, twisted humor made him laugh from the heart, even though he tried to pretend he was repulsed by it. He enjoyed decrypting all of the different emotions in Dean's very expressive eyes. He couldn't help but smile every time Dean randomly busted out in a robot dance. He felt electricity fizzle up and down his spine every time their fingers accidentally brushed. He couldn't help but concentrate on the softness of Dean's skin every time his knuckles would playfully punch Seth. Dean had broken down and through Seth's walls like no one previously had, got him spilling all of his deepest and darkest secrets like it was the most natural thing he'd ever done. Dean was unlike anyone he'd ever met before. Dean was someone Seth wanted to spend all of his time with, someone he wanted to be with, someone he wanted to be his' so badly.

Seth was so emotionally invested in Dean. He was all in, all in, which was why he felt his stomach churn in anxiousness when he saw Dean come in on a Wednesday with a woman. He recognized her from the first outing they'd had as a group. She was skinny, with long, chestnut brown hair and a smile from ear to ear. She was beautiful. Dean didn't even bother coming up to Seth to say hi, satisfied with only waving from afar while Seth could barely raise two fingers to wave back. Seth felt like his world was crashing down on him. They went on stage together. They were singing and dancing and whispering in each other's ears and smiling so brightly at each other and looking like the epitome of a picture perfect couple. Dean twirled her and Seth felt sick to his stomach. It was like watching a nightmare come to life. Never had he felt more stupid in his life than in that moment. When Dean walked up to the counter, with a grin the size of Texas, Seth tried with all his might to keep it together.

"Hey, Seth." He was so damn cheery while he was fighting to not shed his first tears in years. He couldn't look at Dean.

"H-hey, Dean." Seth's voice was shaky all over. He did a quick once-over at Dean and immediately saw wariness on his face. He wasn't able to do anything about it, wasn't able to keep up a front much better than this one.

"You okay, man?"

"Y-yeah, I'm doing great, just great!" Seth's voice went into high pitch by the end of the sentence, utterly unintentional. "You want a beer, right? I'll get you a beer right away." Seth didn't even wait for a response from Dean, going straight for the cooler and placing the bottle in front of him with extremely fidgety fingers. Before he even got the chance to move it, Dean clasped Seth's fist within the palm of his hand.

"Seth, look at me. What's wrong?" Dean demanded and Seth peered up, concern evident in Dean's blue eyes.

Everything would've been the honest answer, yet all Seth could manage was pulling his hand out of Dean's grasp. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I just have to speak with the manager now." Seth babbled, pointing to the back. "I'll see you later, alright?"

And for the second time that night, Seth walked away without awaiting Dean's answer. He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't withstand seeing Dean act and talk like everything was sunshine and rainbows when everything wasn't, when his heart was shattering into pieces in his chest. He went to the back and searched for his manager, a slimy old man whose belt couldn't hold in his gut. He entered every tiny, broken down room before finding him in the supposed janitor's closet, finagling with a much younger girl. On any given night, the sight would've appalled him and sent him running, but Seth couldn't find it in him to care less. With an entirely numbed out voice, Seth asked him if he could take the rest of the night off, claiming he wasn't feeling well at all, a request he was granted right away, in embarrassment more than anything, the manager saying he'd take it from there. With no wasted second, Seth sped his way out of the building, getting out of it through the fire exit door. The second he stepped out of it, Seth leaned against the red brick wall, bending over when the thoughts in his head became too much, stabbing through him like a knife. His hands were running up and down his thighs. He felt his insides turn colder.

He knew that the state he was in had nothing to do with him being single for a long time. He knew this went further than simple admiration, way further. He just couldn't believe he'd been so blind to see that it was one sided along, that it was all in his head. God he was stupid. This fit of jealousy, this overwhelming feeling of hurt was uncalled for, no doubt, because what proof did he even have that Dean saw anything more than a nice friendship in him? What proof did he have that he was even interested in guys to begin with? What did he base his fantasises off? Hopes and dreams? A simple instinct that there was something more going on between them? Even worse, what insured him that Dean didn't just think of him as a cool bartender he could spend his lonely nights with? Dean looked so happy with that girl so, so happy. He was falling for a guy who was unavailable from the start and holy shit, he was an idiot, a total fucking idiot who-.

Seth's onslaught of self-deprecating thoughts was stopped by the sound of the heavy steel door close shut behind him. A frantic Dean emerged from it, noticeably relieved when he laid his eyes on Seth. Seth looked up from his position squinting, not quite believing that Dean had gone through the trouble of finding him. Dean rushed towards him, crouching at his level to take a good look at him.

"Seth. Seth, talk to me. Are you alright?" Seth saw Dean's left hand approach his face, tentatively wanting to touch it. Seth moved before the touch could come to be. Dean backed away. He was so gentle with Seth, too gentle, and it made Seth want to scream.

"I'm fine, Dean." Seth could barely get his voice out.

"Seth, I've never seen you like this before. You've had me worried all night. Just, please, tell me what's going on, I can-"

"I said I'm fine, Dean!" Seth practically yelled. He took a deep breath, trying so damn hard to calm down. Seth raised his eyes from the concrete ground. Dean's eyes had gone wide, completely ambushed by the wrath in Seth's voice. This time he took his chances and closed out the distance between him and Seth, the fire in his eyes turning into anger. He wrapped a forceful hand around Seth's left bicep and walked him backwards, his head colliding against the wall. Seth was unable to react at all, unable to move an inch, unable to even breathe. He was melting under the intensity of Dean's stare.

"I swear to god, Seth, I'm not leaving you the fuck alone until you tell me what the fuck is going on with you. I'm not going anywhere, so you better fucking spit it-"

"Is she your girlfriend?"

Seth blurted out that question, completely out of his own control. The moment he heard the words come out of his mouth, he knew he was a goner. He felt Dean's hand fall from his arm and suddenly, he couldn't look Seth in the eyes anymore. Not only did his hopes for a future with Dean get decimated, but he went ahead and took matters into his own hands and ruined his friendship with Dean. All in one night's work. Seth tugged his hair with his hands in frustration, eyes fixated on the ground. "Fuck, forget I said this, I don't know why I said this-"

"Seth-"

"No, please, forget I even asked this, it's not even my place to ask this, I'm sorry, shit..."

"Seth-"

"I'm so sorry Dean, please, forget I ever said this, forget what I've done tonight, I ruin everything, but I don't wanna ruin our friendship-"

"If you could just listen-"

"I mean what's it gotta do with me, right? I mean, I have no right to ask this, I'm just a fucking bartender, for f-"

Seth was silenced by a pair of lips on his'. Dean's lips were on his lips. They were kissing his lips. His right hand had gone straight for Seth's hair, the pads of his fingers massaging his skull while the other pinned his shoulder against the wall, grounding him there. It took Seth a solid minute to register what was going on, to realize this was real, that Dean was actually kissing him, which was a minute too long, before he threw himself headlong into the kiss. He craned Dean's face in both of his hands, kissing him with all the fervor he had. With every shift of their lips and every movement of their mouths, the kiss got deeper, the heat between their bodies skyrocketing. Seth felt Dean's tongue run against the seam of his lips, a tender, gentle request for entrance. Seth moaned, a sound that Dean reciprocated in response. Seth was in a daze. Dean's tongue hovered over Seth's, slightly teasing it with the tip, before licking the life out of it and rubbing them together. Their kiss was leaving Seth in a puddle of whimpers and guttural breaths. He couldn't get enough. He wanted more. He lowered his right hand from Dean's face, slowly going down his torso before slipping underneath his shirt, feeling the muscles of his abdomen ripple underneath his palm and fingers. Dean shuddered. Dean took Seth's bottom lip between his teeth, tugging at it before breaking the kiss, drawing out a whine from Seth. Dean didn't pull away though, firmly holding Seth's face in both hands, moving his lips right above his left ear, the feel of his breath ghosting over the area making Seth shiver.

"You think you're just a bartender? You think you're just a bartender to me? Fuck, you don't even know how bad I've got it for you..." Dean spoke into his ear, his teeth teasing his earlobe and Seth could feel himself drifting away, his eyes barely open. He was panting, his fingers digging into Dean's shoulders. "Why do you think I started coming to the bar alone? Why do you think I started coming in almost every night? Why do you think I told you about all the fucked up shit that's happened in my life? Hell, I told you shit I'd never told anyone before in my life..." Dean was pressing his right fingers up and down the side of Seth's neck and Seth was gasping for air, overwhelmed by the feel of Dean's mouth and the words coming out of it. "You're so fucking oblivious, you stupid, gorgeous bastard." Dean's teeth gently sank into his earlobe and a full on moan was released from the depths of Seth's throat. Seth's hips shot up, clashing their crotches together, and he wasn't the only one half hard in interest and Seth felt like he was about to faint. Seth opened his eyes as best as he could, only to find that Dean's were clasped shut at the sudden friction, mouth agape. Dean's eyes fluttered open once more, and Seth could swear he'd never seen them shine brighter. Pristine blue zoned in on chocolate brown eyes. Dean's right hand had gone to cupping Seth's cheek affectionately, Seth instinctively leaning into the touch.

"She's not my girlfriend. She's the one who caught you staring weeks ago when you thought you were all discrete..." Seth's cheeks went flush. He was sure that Dean could feel the heat rising in them in his palms. "She's the one who told me to take a chance with you, that it could be worth it and she couldn't have been more right."

Seth leaned forward and pecked Dean's lips once, then twice before leaning their foreheads together, his hands pacing through the back of Dean's dark blonde locks.

"You have no idea how much I've wanted this," Seth spoke against his lips, "from the moment you walked in. Got even worse when I got to know you. You have no idea how much I've wanted you, Dean, no idea..."

"I have no idea, huh?"

Seth shook his head, dragging Dean's lips with his'. "None."

"Well..." Seth felt Dean smirk against his lips, the same, devious smirk he'd gotten so accustomed to, followed by a short, lingering kiss, a sway of the hips against his', "how about you take me back to your place and give me an idea?"

Seth never granted a request so quickly before in his life.