"So Xavier said that your kitten is a female," Roman reminded Dean after arriving back home from the trip to the vet, "are you still going to keep that name?"

"Yep," Dean spoke up from his spot on the couch where he was flipping through a magazine Roman had given him, mostly for the photography. He couldn't read a single word on the pages but he was acting like he could and Roman tried not to smile too wide at that.

"So you're just going to leave her named John Wayne?" Dean nodded at the question, barely glancing up from his reading material in a dismissive manner, as if that was the most ridiculous notion he had heard. And just 'John' didn't cut it either, not for Dean, it had to be the full name.

Ever since Roman had left the television on a certain station that showed older films, Dean had been obsessed with the westerns that played during the day. He loved the horses and adventure and the way the cowboys looked, he had even taken to wearing things from around the house on his head like a cowboy hat. Today it was a box Sami had brought over earlier that had contained some fresh flowers to place around the house, as a gift and to check up on the two of them. It still smelled pretty strongly of exotic flora but Dean didn't seem to mind. Neither did John Wayne, who was perched on Dean's shoulder, pawing at the edge of the box curiously.

Two weeks had passed since the first night Dean had crawled into bed with Roman and he had returned to the bed every single night. Roman knew that in the short amount of time, he was in deep trouble. Not because he knew he wasn't going to get his full bed back so he could spread out and sleep like an over sized starfish, no, quite the opposite. He wanted Dean there, wanted to feel him close, wanted to wake up and find him splayed out next to him on the mattress. Roman wanted to be able to monitor the nightmares, which were becoming less and less frequent. Instead of waking to the sight of Dean curled into a ball on top of the blankets, wearing a tight and fearful expression, he would find Dean relaxed and enjoying his trip to dreamland.

"Are you and John Wayne cool here while I go finish up some work?" Roman knew his father would be calling at some point and he wanted to be able to answer questions to prove he was actually doing his job.

"Yep," Dean answered again and Roman snickered as he walked past, reaching over the back of the couch to ruffle up the mess of light brown hair.

"Is that the only word you know today or something?"

"Yep."

Roman rolled his eyes in good humor as he strolled down the hall toward the office. Dean's vocabulary was growing rapidly and while it was still basic and very simple, he seemed to be a fast learner. Sure, a lot of it was thanks to the television he watched, which included several bad words he had picked up- but it was working nonetheless. And on top of that, he was opening up and growing more confident which each passing day. All good signs, as far as Roman was concerned.

With a heavy sigh, Roman sat in the expensive leather desk chair and opened his laptop. There were plenty of new emails in his inbox to go through and he cringed at the sight of them before clicking out of the window and pulling up a document he had been skimming last night before bed. To the side of the laptop, his phone buzzed. Fully expecting his father, he was surprised to find Seth's name pop up instead.

Allowing himself to become distracted for the moment, he picked up the phone and swiped the screen to open the text message. It was something about Sami having a day off tomorrow, wanting to know if Roman wanted to get out of the house. He knew he had been basically house ridden for the duration of the last two weeks, aside from short trips to the vet, but leaving the house meant he had to bring Dean along. The mere idea of that made him nervous and unsure. It wasn't that he didn't trust Dean, it was just so up in the air. Anything could happen.

Without answering the text, Roman opened his image gallery and went through his most recent photos. Immediately he was smiling fondly at the screen as photos of Dean were staring back at him. A series of pictures of him reaching for the camera, expressions spanning from confused to interested and then to joy. They had been sitting up in bed a couple nights prior and Roman had opened his camera up to snap some pictures of Dean, realizing that he probably had never really seen a photo of himself. Fully amused by the entire concept, Dean demanded more and more. So they had spent nearly an hour taking ridiculous photos of themselves, the last one capturing a moment where Dean kissed Roman on the side of the face.

Affection was something that Dean seemed to enjoy and willingly display toward him. They were small gestures still, like nestling up to him while watching a moving on the couch, nuzzling before bed as they got cozy, and the occasional kiss. Usually the kisses fell on his cheeks or forehead but every now and then he would get lucky enough to receive one right on the lips. He still wasn't sure if Dean knew what it all meant or if it was something that was natural and felt good, but Roman certainly hadn't tried to put an end to it.

His phone buzzed again, snapping him out of his daydream. This time it was his father.

Instead of answering he placed the phone aside and let the call go to voicemail, frowning at his computer screen. Distractions were something he really couldn't afford right now and yet there were a wide range of them readily available. Being stuck at home all this time had him on edge, maybe getting out really would be for the best.

Burying himself back into his work, determined to at least finish the document he was working on, Roman buckled down and resisted distraction. Which was all fine and dandy until he was certain one of the words he skimmed over read Molossian. He had backpedaled quickly, reading through the lines of text in an attempt to locate the word but he found nothing. His mind was playing tricks on him, utterly exhausted from what he had put it through lately.

"C'mon Ro," he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes, "get your shit together."

Why hadn't anything happened?

Where was Hunter? Why hadn't the police shown up at his doorstep with a missing persons report? Why had he heard virtually nothing from The Molossian after what they had done?

This had been driving him up the wall. Of course he was very relieved and happy that he hadn't opened the front door to find Hunter standing there with a gun pointed in his face and a team of lackeys to capture Dean, to take him back to that hell hole. But he also couldn't shake this paranoia. He couldn't help but feel like there was a storm brewing on the horizon, no matter how calm it felt now.

From the other room he could hear Dean speaking with John Wayne, which wasn't at all out of the ordinary, though the kitten surely couldn't speak back. It didn't seem to stop Dean from rambling on about nonsense.

Maybe Roman needed a break. Grabbing his phone off the desk, he abandoned his work yet again for the comfort of his housemate and the tiny striped cat. He found the two of them in the kitchen, John Wayne hanging slightly off kilter in Dean's healing arm, claws dug into the plaster of the cast. Dean was reaching for a box on the top shelf of a cupboard.

"Hungry?" Dean was startled by Roman's voice and nearly dropped the box he was retrieving, wide blue eyes turning on him, "Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you."

"S'okay," Dean blended the words together and put the box on the counter top, plopping John Wayne next to it. While they snacked on pieces of cereal, with Roman replacing the kitten's share with kibble instead of sugary wheat puffs, Dean studied the scribbles and drawings on his cast.

It had been covered by now, either by Dean's own hand or everyone else's. Seth, Sami, Xavier, Becky, they had all left their names and marks in an array of color during their visits. It was much better than the bland color and it seemed to keep Dean from trying to pry it off every other hour. If he started to mess with it, Roman would bring out the markers and they would add some more decoration to it. They were quickly running out of empty space but it shouldn't be too much longer before it could be removed.

"How about we get you in the bath and then we can have some real dinner?" Roman suggested, taking the make-shift cowboy hat from Dean's head, knowing that he had a fifty-fifty chance of getting him to cooperate with bath time. "I'll let you pick the movie tonight."

Roman almost always let Dean pick the movie but it also always worked like a charm. This occasion was no exception.

An hour later Roman was handing Dean a pair of soft pajama pants and a t-shirt to change into and the collar still wrapped around Dean's neck caught his attention. It was always there, hadn't once been removed, but for some reason he always noticed it more easily when Dean was naked.

"Want this off?" he asked, as he did every time Dean was changing into new clothes, but every time he got the same response. Dean would kind of tense up and his brow would furrow and he would appear to be very hesitant about it. But he would always shake his head and move on with whatever he was doing.

Roman wasn't sure what the hold up was about the collar. Had Dean never been without it? Was it some sort of comfort blanket for him, even if it was a symbol of his life before? Whatever the reason, Roman had made it a point to avoid getting a collar for the kitten until he could get it figured out. If it was a sensitive subject, he wasn't sure he had the energy at the moment for any kind of relapse.

"Alright, let's eat and we can watch a movie," and just like that Dean's expression was bright and joyful and he darted from the room, calling out for John Wayne.

Dinner was uneventful; peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a lot of napkins because Dean liked to get his hands sticky and touch everything. Now they were propped up on the couch watching a film that Dean had chosen. They had seen it plenty of times before and Dean whispered some of the lines along with the actors during his favorite parts. Roman didn't mind watching the same movie over and over again, not when it pleased Dean so much.

"What place?" Dean asked, pointing at the screen as the scene changed to a big city.

"I think that's New York," Roman answered, shifting to allow Dean to lean back into him so he could wrap an arm around Dean's mid section.

"New York," Dean repeated, nodding as he stared at the television with interest, "Go there?"

"I'd take you there if I could but it's on the other side of the country."

Dean glanced at Roman, more upset by this news than Roman had expected, and then his gaze returned to the movie. There was a look of longing in Dean's eyes but it was gone as soon as it came, replaced by laughter as one of their favorite scenes played out.

After the movie Roman had sent Dean off to brush his teeth, the wheels in his mind turning. A day out of the house was definitely what he needed but he couldn't leave Dean behind. And he had a plan. Grabbing his phone, he shot off a text to Seth.

How about you and Sami and I take Dean into the city?

As expected, Roman received a text back from Seth immediately.

Uh, are u sure that's a good idea?

Trust me, he's going to love it. But I need you both there to help me. You in?

There was a bigger gap in time between messages now so Roman took the chance to get ready for bed himself. Right before he laid down he found a message waiting.

We're in. See u in the morning.

"Remember to keep all of your clothes on today, okay?" Seth was just making sure that point was understood as Roman pulled the vehicle carrying the four men into a huge parking lot near Fisherman's Wharf.

Sami laughed and Roman rolled his eyes but couldn't fight off the smile that curved his mouth as he glanced at Dean in the passenger's seat. Dean hadn't taken notice to Seth's comment at all, instead he was practically glued to the window as he stared out at all of the different sights. Roman could only imagine what it must be like, seeing most of these things for the first time.

"Ocean." Dean tapped the window matter-of-factly, nodding in confidence as he pointed out the bay.

"That's right, buddy! That's the Pacific Ocean," Sami chimed in to give a little extra information as the car rolled to a stop in a parking space and the engine died, "it's really, really, really big."

Dean's eyes narrowed as if he were committing this new fact into his memory, repeating the name of the ocean in a badly pronounced whisper. Roman patted him on the thigh and with that the four men began their journey around the city.

San Francisco was a melting pot of cultures on the West Coast and there was plenty to see. Roman had been reminding Dean of all of the rules on the drive down, trying to ensure that he knew how to conduct himself like a proper human. At least enough to pass.

"Remember what I told you about running away," Roman rounded the car to fall into step next to Dean, "we're all going to look out for you but please stay with one of us at all times. If you wander off you might get lost."

Just as a back up, Roman had slipped an extra phone into Dean's backpack he carried along with him. It held some items that Dean liked to have with him, as well as some snacks that he had been very concerned about bringing along. He seemed to think there wouldn't be enough food where they were going, no matter how much Roman assured him that there would be an abundance of it. Teaching Dean how to answer that phone, however, had been an interesting couple of hours all on it's own but finally he was sure that Dean would know what to do if it began to ring.

"Yes," Dean nodded his understanding of the warnings to stay together, but almost immediately he spotted something that captured his attention and more or less ran in that direction.

Seth exchanged knowing looks with Roman and Sami was already hurrying along after Dean. This was going to be an interesting day.

What happened to catch Dean's attention brought a grin to Roman's face right away- a street performer all painted up in chrome, standing on a platform motionless. He looked like a robot but the sun was glinting off all the paint and Dean was curiously inspecting the situation, having always been drawn to shiny items.

Then the man moved, with a whirring buzz of a whistle hidden in his mouth, and Dean nearly jumped out of his skin.

Seth burst into laughter as Dean toppled back and Roman caught him by the arm to keep him steady, trying to suppress his own laughter. With what must be instinct, Dean bared his teeth at the performer and Roman was quick to gently chide him.

"None of that," he murmured so only the two of them could hear, "he's a nice man. He's doing this to make money." Just as he said that, a couple of people walked by and dropped some bills into the robot man's tip jar.

Dean, while still seeming extremely put off by the man, visibly relaxed. When they left the area they had to make a wide circle around the performer or Dean wouldn't take another step. Seth continued to poke fun at him the whole time while Sami assured Dean that 'surprise robot men' were indeed kinda creepy.

Food was first on their to-do list since lunch time was rapidly approaching and they opted to avoid the restaurant scenario for now, choosing to explore the row of street vendors. There was a lot of fresh seafood and chowders, so many new foods to try, but Dean insisted on french fries above all else. Noisy seagulls appreciated this choice and would dare to swoop close enough to earn a flash of teeth and a sharp growl from Dean, which in turn earned a scolding from Roman.

The streets were lined with souvenir stores and local shops so while they ate their food they strolled down the pavement to see if any of them tickled their fancy. Dean was pointing out almost every new thing he encountered while Sami patiently named off each item. Thirty minutes past noon, Roman's phone began to ring. His father's name popped up on the caller ID, glaring up at him as if it knew he had been avoiding his responsibilities. Swiping to ignore the call, Roman tucked his phone deeper into his pocket and tried to forget all about it.

Luckily, that was easy to do when he spotted Seth and Dean in the mouth of one of the tourist stores. Seth had been putting different styles of sunglasses on Dean, who seemed a little confused but also intrigued by them. He could slide them off and turn them over, looking at the lens, only to peer back through them. Seth was overly amused, pushing a pair of obnoxious, brightly colored sunglasses onto Dean's face. One side was a pineapple and the other side was some kind of tropical drink, with the lenses built into each. Dean was swatting them off his face as soon as they were put into place.

"Aw c'mon, you didn't like those?" Seth teased and Dean's tongue poked out in disgust.

"What about these?" Sami held up a simple pair of black wayfarers and Dean held still while they were slid into place. Sami turned him toward the mirror on the display so he could see himself and Dean hummed his approval.

"Like those?" Roman questioned and Dean nodded, but Seth had other ideas.

"Nah, he wants these!" Pulling the black ones away, Seth replaced them with a pair of bright pink ones of the same style.

Now Dean was really showing his approval, bouncing on the balls of his feet and gesturing to them.

"Want," he turned toward Roman, who simply nodded and reached out to take them so they could be paid for at the counter. Seth was looking especially pleased with himself and Roman rolled his eyes as he passed by, the corner of his mouth pulled upward into a smirk.

"It's okay Dean, a lot of guys like pink," Sami was rambling on as Roman moved out of earshot long enough to pay for the sunglasses.

The next street performer they happened to come across was a magician putting on a show for a small group of tourists. They stood around, with Dean standing in front of them to have a better view of the performance, but Roman ended up watching him a lot more than any of the tricks. The curiosity, the confusion and surprise, the complete wonderment, every expression was better than the last. When Dean would whip around to look at him, eyes like saucers behind the glasses and mouth dropped open in awe, Roman wished he could snap a few dozen photos.

Roman found himself wishing such things quite often now.

With the Wharf marked off their checklist, and Dean spending the next half hour asking how the magician performed all that magic, the group decided to head toward Pier 39. Roman had only been there once before but he knew Dean would get a kick out of one of the pier's star attractions.

The sea lions could be heard before seen and Dean's brow had furrowed in caution at the ruckus, even as Roman nudged him along.

"You'll like this, I promise," he laughed and dragged Dean the remainder of the way to the railing on the pier.

Floating a few feet away were some larger platforms covered in sea lions. They were a noisy bunch but once they were able to get Dean up to the rail to see the creatures, the mood shifted. Dean was delighted. Pointing out the sea lions in joyful disbelief, as if the other three hadn't spotted them yet, he laughed.

Roman reckoned they were kind of silly looking but Dean crossed his arms on the railing and rested his chin on top, simply content to watch the sea creatures yell at each other and laze about. Every now and then one would slither off into the water and reappear moments later, bobbing about on the surface. For a moment Roman wasn't sure they would be able to pry Dean away from that area at all, but his fascination with the sea lions gave Roman an idea.

The Aquarium of the Bay wasn't as packed as Roman had expected, thankfully, leaving room for Dean and him to roam around the exhibits freely. Seth and Sami decided to sit this one out, instead doing a little shopping and searching for a restaurant for dinner. That was fine with Roman because a bit of alone time with Dean is exactly what he had been craving all day.

"You'll be able to see better if you take this off," he remarked warmly, pulling the shades free of Dean's eyes to tuck them safely away in the front pouch of the backpack.

"Thank you," Dean smiled and Roman felt his stomach doing those flip flops again as he led the way through the lobby of the building to the first exhibit room.

Losing track of how many goddamn adorable expressions Dean could make with each new discovery, Roman would explain each animal to the best of his knowledge. He read from plaques, he helped point out the different species of creature in each tank, he even took his phone out to steal a few photos of the moment.

There wasn't a worry in the world when he was with Dean like this, and as much as that may become a serious issue, for now he was more than happy to simply live in it.

As they approached the underwater tunnel, Roman made sure to pull Dean closer to him, not sure how he would react to the wide variety of sea life all around them. At first Dean did cower closer, overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of the aquarium around the tunnel, but it didn't take long for him to perk up.

"Shark," Dean pointed out one of the sharks gliding gracefully overhead and Roman nodded, giving him a pat of approval on the shoulder, resisting the urge to close to space between them and wrap his arm around him.

There were a few other people in the tunnel with them but one couple in particular was in their line of sight, standing in front of them with the backdrop of the artificial ocean. It looked like something out of a movie honestly, the two of them holding hands and watching each animal swim by the thick glass. Dean was watching them too, maybe a little too much for a moment, but when he felt Dean's hand pulling at his own he realized why.

Dean pressed the palm of his good hand into Roman's and clumsily tangled their fingers together, much like the couple. Surprised by the gesture, Roman glanced over to find that Dean's attention had already moved on to a school of brightly colored fish zipping along, still holding Roman's hand.

Roman didn't let go until they were exiting the building to meet up with Sami and Seth, having been entirely distracted during the rest of their time inside. All he could think about was the fact that Dean had held his hand and how weak he had felt in the knees.

What the hell was wrong with him? He had to pull himself together before this entire thing was entirely derailed.

Dean insisted they say goodbye to the sea lions, trying to excitedly tell Sami and Seth all about what he had seen in the aquarium with the limited vocabulary he had. He was able to list off the mostly correct names of all of the sea creatures he had seen, with minimal help from Roman.

"That's so cool, I love sea horses," Sami was grinning ear to ear as Dean continued on, while Seth hung back to walk with Roman.

"I'm surprised he's behaved as well as he has," Seth confessed, making sure Dean wouldn't be able to hear him, "you must really be making headway with him."

Roman nodded, lost in his own head, and Seth took that as a cue to just let it go for now. The sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky and the day's worth of exploring was beginning to make their stomachs grumble.

Sami brought up the restaurant they had found, one that had a variety of food to choose from, and they began to head that way. It was only a few blocks back in the direction they had come from, closer to their car, and the whole time Roman was zoned out.

This couldn't happen. He couldn't get this attached. Sure, he could help Dean find a new life, get him some help, eventually get him a job. But then what? Was he supposed to just let Dean mosey out of his life? Was he supposed to find someone to take Dean off his hands? A woman to start a life with? The idea made his skin crawl. That probably wasn't a great sign.

"Hey," Seth murmured sharply, elbowing him in the side to pull him back to reality.

"Hm?" Roman looked up quickly, following Seth's gaze to where Dean had frozen at the curb, staring hard. Across the street were a pair of large dogs, collars and leashes in place as their owners pulled and tugged to set the animals on the desired course. Dean was watching them with great interest but his expression wasn't as it had been with the sea lions or the sharks. It was sharp, calculating. Roman decided he wasn't fond of this expression at all.

Sami shifted awkwardly next to Dean, looking back to Roman for help as Dean's hand raised to touch the collar that still encircled his own neck. Before Roman could say or do anything at all, Dean turned and looked at him dead in the eyes.

"Like me?" he asked and this time he didn't have to point out what the subject of his question was. Roman's heart took a plunge but he cleared his throat and reached out to take Dean's hand, lowering it away from the collar.

"No," Roman tried to work out the storm in those blue eyes but he couldn't begin to guess how to navigate it, "not like you."

Dean's eyes narrowed in thought, for Roman it felt like time stood still. There was so much human in those eyes now, so much more than was there before, but every so often there was a glimpse of something he wouldn't be able to understand. He accepted the answer, but Roman could tell it was all on the surface. People began to move around them, pushing past to cross the street now that the signal to walk had lit up on the post. The overall feel of the group had definitely shifted.

Fuck. He didn't know what was going through Dean's head right then but he could bet that it probably wasn't very good.

"We better hurry or they might give away all the food before we get there," Seth came to the rescue with a big smile plastered on his face and Sami was quick to join in.

"They better not sell all of the cheeseburgers."

Roman smiled at Dean and they continued on their way, Dean more quiet and withdrawn than before. They all noticed it but no one said anything, sensing it was best to just act like everything was alright. Sami and Seth struck up a conversation and Roman could see Dean touching the collar against out of the corner of his eye.

There was a short wait at the restaurant once they arrived and Seth went to put their name on the list. Dean still hadn't said a word and Sami was doing his best to keep up the cheery atmosphere. Later Roman was going to have to thank their friend for today, Sami was amazing with Dean, as he had been since the beginning.

Roman felt a tug at his arm as he watched for Seth, turning to find Dean walking toward the nearest store.

"Shit, hang on," Roman told Sami and was quick to follow after Dean, catching up as soon as they entered the shop. "What are you doing?"

Dean said nothing, searching the aisles until the spinning towers covered with jewelry came into sight. There were necklaces and bracelets of all types, geared toward both males and females, and Dean was studying each one.

"Do you want one of these?" Roman tried again but Dean kept searching until finally he pulled out a simple silver chain. It wasn't long, the type to fit closer to the throat, but it wasn't as tight as the collar. "You like this?"

Dean pulled at the collar on his neck and Roman realized that the time had finally come- Dean was ready to remove the one physical piece of evidence that still tied him to the Molossian. And to replace it with something more human.

"Yeah, okay," Roman smiled, "let's pay for this and I'll help you with that."

Five minutes later, with a pair of scissors borrowed from behind the register, Roman was cutting through the thick leather of the collar. It took a bit to work the blades through the material but once it was mostly sliced through, Roman used his strength to break through the rest of it. The collar snapped off and Dean immediately reached for his throat, feeling around for the strap that was no longer there.

It must have been strange to be free of something that had been part of him for so very long, something that would have weighed far more than just a simple band of leather. Dean seemed both relieved and unsure, patting the side of his throat anxiously. Roman brought the new chain necklace up and secured it around Dean's neck, allowing it to settle into place against his skin. Dean touched it, fingering the chain links, before he looked up at Roman.

And he smiled. A real smile this time. Roman returned the scissors, tucked the collar into his pocket, and they left the shop to meet up with Sami and Seth once again.

Eating dinner out with Dean for the first time went about as well as they could have expected, with only a few hiccups. Aside from trying to wear the fold-open menu on his head like a cowboy hat, much like he did at home, Roman only had to remind him a handful of times not to eat with his hands. Or to blow bubbles in his soda through the straw like he saw on a cartoon last week. Or to stare at other tables while people ate.

In fact there was only one moment where Roman had to really jump in, if only to save Sami from turning a shade of red he hadn't seen before.

"What can I get you gentlemen to drink?" the waitress had asked.

In which to Dean replied, all bright eyes and joyful tone, "Fuck!"

Sami about melted into his seat and Seth choked on a piece of complimentary bread to keep from laughing. The waitress acted as if perhaps she had heard him incorrectly.

"Oh, uh," Roman had spoke up quickly, "he'll have Pepsi."

He decided to order for Dean for the remainder of their dining experience.

As they exited the restaurant later with full bellies and satisfied smiles, Roman noticed the thick fog was rolling in from the bay into the city. It might had been alarming for someone who wasn't familiar with the area but to the small group of men, it was something to see. Dean was apprehensive at first, pointing it out to Roman, standing close.

"Fog," Roman placed a hand on the small of Dean's back, "it's harmless. It happens all the time here."

"Fog," Dean repeated, "like frog."

"Yeah, kinda," Roman chuckled, leading them closer to the edge of the bay to get a better view of the white blanket draping over parts of the water and bay, the famous bridge already completely swallowed by it.

It was peaceful, Dean felt more calm at his side than he had been all day, and Roman found his eyes drawn to him. Dean's profile was accented by the nearly set sun and gorgeous backdrop. The bold reds and oranges in the sky were dripping lower, making way for deeper purples and blues. Stars were out over their heads, beginning to sparkle and shine as the light died around them.

None of this was as beautiful as Dean in that moment. He was staring, he knew he was, but he hadn't realized he was also being watched.

Locking eyes with Seth, Roman's brow raised in question. Why was Seth staring at him that way? Whatever.

Moving forward, he pulled Dean along with him to the edge of the small cliff overlooking the ocean. Behind them the city soldiered on, sounds and smells muted by the sea's breeze. It ruffled up Dean's hair and Roman reached up to soothe the strands back.

"Here," his voice was soft and reserved for just the two of them as he pulled the collar from his pocket, "get rid of it for good."

Dean stared at it for a long moment before he took it from Roman's hand and inched closer to the edge. Roman stood his ground and watched, knowing this was something Dean could do all on his own. Something Dean needed to do all on his own.

After ghosting his fingertips over the strap, Dean raised the collar up in his fisted hand and threw it with all of his might into the ocean. He stared after it, silent, and eventually turned around to take his spot at Roman's side.

"Let's go home," Roman smiled, ignoring the look Seth gave him as they made their way past and in the direction of the parking lot.

With some sightseeing left to do in the morning, they decided to stay in one of the family's up scale hotels downtown. The ride was silent with Sami dozing off in the backseat, head resting on Seth's shoulder. It had been a long day and Roman was looking forward to nothing more than unwinding with Dean and getting a good night's sleep.

Seth had other plans though because once they made it to the hotel, he pulled Roman aside while Dean and an exhausted Sami went to look at the decorative fountain in the lobby.

"Hey...is everything okay with you and Dean?" Seth asked, voice hushed enough to not be overheard, but the concern was obvious.

"Yeah, of course," Roman answered, confused, "why do you ask?"

Seth shifted his weight from one foot to the other, sighing as he glanced back to make sure the other two were still distracted.

"You seem like you're getting a little...too attached."

"What?" Roman's eyes narrowed and immediately he was on defense, even though he knew Seth didn't mean any harm. The subject was something that made him bristle all over, in a way that surprised even him.

"I mean, are you guys like..." Seth didn't finish the sentence but his expression shifted enough for Roman to catch the drift.

"Why is that any of your business?"

"Are you serious, Ro? I'm your best fucking friend, I've been here for you through this whole thing," Seth was growing frustrated, Roman could see it but he couldn't find it in him to extinguish these fires just yet, "C'mon, man...you know you can't do that. Not with him. He's just..."

"He's what?" Roman asked, challenge oozing from his words.

Seth stared him in the eyes, weighing his options, and finally sighed.

"Whatever, Roman," he shrugged and pushed by the taller man, "I'm just worried."

Roman stayed put and let Seth go to the front desk to retrieve the keys to their suites. One was wordlessly shoved into his hand as his friend returned and they went their separate ways, Seth with Sami in tow.

They took different elevators up to their floors and Roman tried to shake off the bad mood Seth had left him in. He couldn't help but feel like there might be some true weight to his best friend's warning.

"Wow!" Dean gasped as they entered the suite. There was a huge window directly in front of them that overlooked the city, with all it's buildings and bright lights.

"Pretty neat, huh?" Roman forced a smile and locked the door up behind him, "Uh...I think I'm gonna take a hot shower."

"Me too?" Dean asked, turning away from the window to look at Roman hopefully.

Roman hadn't showered with Dean before. Sure he had been there to help Dean bathe at the beginning but he had become pretty self efficient in that department.

"Sure," the answer came before Roman was ready to give it but the way Dean's eyes lit up crushed any hopes of backtracking on that answer. But that was fine, how hard could it be?

Roman got his answer ten minutes later as he watched Dean step into the spacious shower next to him, leaning into the steady stream of warm water. It cascaded down his body, over the pale skin that was now void of any bruises or cuts. The scars were still there of course, but Roman had grown to find those just as beautiful as the rest of Dean.

The plastered arm was wrapped in a plastic bag to keep the water off of it, and while they should have taken away from the overall vibe, it somehow only added to it. Everything about Dean was charming to Roman.

Making quick work of the shower, Roman didn't allow himself to be too terribly distracted by how perfect Dean looked. He washed Dean's hair, then his own, scrubbing both of their bodies down with a bar of hotel soap. He'd had to steer clear of some of the more private areas, passing the soap off to Dean to reach them instead, but it didn't stop him from taking a peek or five. Or ten.

With Dean wrapped in a big fluffy towel and sent off to the bedroom, Roman took a moment for himself in the bathroom. Seth's words were gnawing their way back into his brain and he could really do without that for the rest of the night. He knew Seth was worried. Not because Dean was a male, that had nothing to do with it, Seth wasn't like that. But Roman knew there was plenty of reason for his friend to express concern.

"You're fine," he told his reflection, "this is fine."

On his way to bed he checked his phone to find five more missed calls from his father. He made a mental note to return those calls first thing in the morning and put his phone aside. Nothing had been left from Seth. Not a text to apologize, nothing at all.

Dean was already curled up in bed by the time Roman got there. The towel was abandoned on the floor, along with the plastic bag, leaving Dean totally nude. As Roman dropped his towel as well and climbed onto the mattress to settle in, Dean rolled and tucked himself into his side. He was warm and soft and smelled like soap. Roman's hand pressed against his back and he began to rub slowly, turning himself onto his side to face Dean.

"Sleepy?" he murmured against Dean's ear.

"Mmhmm," came the half muffled reply.

"We had a busy day, we should get some rest."

That was a great idea for about twenty minutes, until Dean rolled his body onto his side with his back pressed against Roman's front. His cast was drawn up to his middle, safely out of the way.

Roman nuzzled into the mess of brown hair, allowing an arm to rest and drape around Dean's small waist. That must have pleased him because his head tilted back against Roman's shoulder with a soft sigh and his body arched just enough to add pressure in all the placed Roman didn't need to focus on. Like Dean's ass nestling into his crotch.

"Dean, I'm a little warm," Roman tried to reason, tried to reluctantly put a little more space between them. Dean's only answered was more contact.

Fuck.

Roman's hand pressed to Dean's stomach, fingers splaying out wide. It felt like his palm could nearly cover the entire expanse of the flat belly. Whatever muscle had been there before had mostly faded from lack of exercise but it left behind a smooth, soft stretch of skin that drove Roman a little crazy. He wanted to touch it, kiss it, claim every inch of it. Every inch of Dean.

Had anyone else touched Dean this way? It wouldn't surprise him. In fact it would surprise him to find out that they hadn't. The very thought of it made his grip on Dean's body tighten and Roman pulled him in closer.

A soft noise left Dean's mouth in response and said noise went straight to Roman's groin. This wasn't the time to get aroused but he was doing nothing to stop it. He had been so good, he had been so strict with himself when it came to this. Good touches only, nothing that would provoke less than pure thoughts.

But Dean felt so damn good, those hips were shifting just right and Roman knew there wasn't much to hide the fact that he was steadily becoming more turned on.

"Dean," he whispered, voice thick with desire, "stay still..." It was a last ditch effort, some kind of swan song, because he knew what would happen if he crossed this line.

Dean tilted his head and nuzzled into Roman's neck, body arched again to achieve that position. Pressure was applied in all the right places and Roman huffed a heavy breath against Dean's hair. His hand moved to cup the jut of Dean's hip, easing his lower half back to meet his own. They were flush against each other now and the tension in the room was suffocating.

Roman's hips rolled forward slowly and Dean tensed up, going stiff, and he stopped in a panic. Did he push things too far? Too fast? Maybe Dean didn't want this at all?

Then Dean's hand was moving, dipping down, and Roman had to open his eyes. As they adjusted to the minimal light in the room, he could barely make out the shadow of Dean's hand between his legs. Was he aroused too?

A soft whine left him and his hips shifted again, slower this time, more unsure. Roman had no idea where to take this but his body was aching, on fire, fog of lust evading his brain like the fog on bay. So his hand began to inch along Dean's hip and thigh until he was able to confirm that Dean was indeed touching himself.

Roman swallowed thickly and nudged Dean's hand aside, who didn't fight the gesture but was still very tense against his own body. As his hand came into contact with Dean's arousal, he found that he wasn't the only one worked up by their extreme closeness.

Another noise left Dean's lips and Roman's mouth found the side of his neck, peppering it with kisses. His palm pressed to the underside of Dean's length and his fingers wrapped around, giving one experimental stroke.

Dean's breath hitched in his throat and his hips bucked forward. If Dean had been touched like this before, Roman wasn't sure it had been often. Dean was responding as if these were all new sensations. That only made him want to push on further.

His hand tightened and he continued slow strokes, each reaction he pulled from Dean was more enthralling than the last. Dean was panting now, soft puffs of breath mixed with whimpers and gasps, even a growl or two. His hips were moving, not as jerky as before but more fluid and in time with Roman's hand.

"Feel good?" Roman asked against the top of Dean's shoulder, his own length rubbing up against Dean's ass from behind.

He didn't get a direct answer but he didn't need one. There might have been a nod but Dean's hand had his attention, where it was wrapping around his own in an attempt to make him move it faster. Roman did just that and Dean's hips fell into a faster, more desperate rhythm.

When Dean came his hips swiveled back against Roman's and his hand grabbed for the sheets at his side, clinging to them tightly. Roman continued to stroke him through the entirety of the orgasm, leaving Dean a panting mess of loose limbs. He was pretty sure he had come of his hand, there was probably some on Dean's stomach and the bed as well.

Ignoring his own aching arousal, he turned to reach for his towel where it had dropped in the floor at the beside when he felt Dean's hand blindly reaching back for him. It didn't take him long to find his target and Roman's whole world went fuzzy around the edges as Dean's hand began to move over him.

Reaching to stop Dean's hand, he rolled onto his back and carefully but easily pulled Dean's body up until he was straddling Roman's thighs. Then he simply guided Dean's hand back to his length.

"Wanna watch you," was the only explanation Roman gave but Dean didn't seem to mind the change, instead becoming rather fascinated with touching Roman as well.

It was a bit clumsy and uncoordinated but once Dean got the hang of jerking him off, it took everything Roman had to make it last longer than a few moments. There was so much about the situation that he wanted to remember, from the way Dean's thighs looked parted around his own, to the messy strands that hung into the blue eyes. The way Dean was watching his own hand wrapped around Roman's thick length, the way it felt even better than it looked.

Roman was spilling all over Dean's hand and his own belly before he knew it, moaning and arching and nearly knocking Dean off balance.

Then the room was quiet aside from the sound of their breathing. Roman wasn't positive if he could really hear their heartbeats or not but it wouldn't surprise him with the way his was hammering against his chest.

"Feel good?" Dean broke the silence and Roman laughed quietly. He could see Dean holding his hand up, sticky with the evidence of their dual orgasms.

"Yeah baby...I feel good," Roman said as he reached off the edge of the bed to grab the towel, wiping Dean down with it first before doing himself.

Dean was passed out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow and once Roman was spooned up behind the smaller body, he didn't follow too far behind.

The following morning they were up and about early enough, without an ounce of awkwardness to be found. Dean was more clingy than usual, staying close to Roman as they moved around the suite to get ready for the new day, but Roman didn't mind at all.

This is how he wanted it.

Meeting up with Seth and Sami, they headed out for breakfast at a cafe across the street. Dean had pancakes with chocolate chips and whipped cream and Roman couldn't keep his eyes off of him. They exchanged plenty of looks, most ending with Dean's shy smile and bowed head.

Seth made it a point not to look at Roman but Roman still felt like somehow Seth was seeing everything. Sami was his usual self, a bright ray of sunshine, sharing some of his cut up fruit with Dean.

Ghirardelli Square was up next on their list of adventures for the day so they found a place to park nearby and headed out.

"There's a famous chocolate store that sells really good chocolate," Sami was telling Dean as they walked along, "and they have a soda fountain and some neat shops."

Roman was sort of lost in his own world, trailing close behind the other two, with Seth pulling up the rear. That was just fine with him, he didn't feel like dodging any of his friend's looks of judgement. Instead he allowed himself to replay last night over and over in his head, trying to remember exactly how Dean sounded.

They made it to the chocolate shop and Dean couldn't pick out novelty chocolate items any faster, putting them into a hand held basket that Sami carried.

"You're going to be bouncing off the walls for days if you eat all of this chocolate," Sami warned but his smile was bright as he adjusted his newsboy cap and picked out a couple of items for himself.

"I'm sure Roman will regulate his intake," Seth grumbled from behind him and Roman paid him no mind.

After paying the largest amount of money he ever dared to dream for a bag full of chocolate, the four of them left the store and wandered out onto the streets. Dean was already tearing into one of the chocolate bars and Sami opened his own to share it with Seth.

Roman's pocket began to vibrate and he reached inside to pull out his phone. His stomach was already dropping before he even saw his father's name on the called ID. Shit, he had forgotten to call him back again earlier that morning. He had been way too wrapped up in Dean.

"Dad, I'm sorry I've missed your calls, I-" Roman was cut off immediately by a very angry Sika and he moved a few steps away from the group, keeping his mouth shut as he got chewed out.

He flinched at some of the harsh words being flung around but he knew he deserved it this time. He had really been letting his father, and their company, down. If only he could assure Sika that it was for a good cause- but would Sika even agree? Or would he turn Dean over to the authorities and get Roman back on track?

It wasn't worth the risk.

Behind him he could hear Sami and Seth continue to talk while Dean munched down on some chocolate, making sure to not totally zone them out. Not while Dean was with them.

And it was a good thing he did because about three minutes later, in the middle of trying to promise his father that he would get his work finished by mid-week, he heard growling. A very familiar, distinct growling.

He turned his head to find Dean in full on mutt mode, teeth bared, snarling, the whole nine yards. He was still and tensed up, the bag of chocolate dangling from his good hand, which was curled into a tight fist. His eyes were wild, looking off past the square. Sami and Seth were staring at him, with Seth pulling Sami a little farther away from him so he could step up and try to calm him.

"Dean...hey, what's wrong?" Seth was staying calm but something had Dean walking a very thin line between human and animal. It was unsettling enough to see and hear, considering how long that Dean had left that sort of behavior behind. But they were in public and they needed to put a stop to this. Fast.

Sika's voice continued to fill one ear as Roman turned his head to scan their surroundings, trying to find out what had Dean so riled up, backing up to close the space he had put between them.

Right as a tourist group passed by, opening up his field of sight, his eyes fell onto one familiar figure across the street. And it just so happened that this figure's gaze had fallen on him at the same time.

Kevin.

Roman's blood ran cold and he reached back to grab for Dean's arm. Kevin had spotted Roman but as soon as he saw Dean he began to gesture wildly.

"Over there!" he yelled and Roman wasn't going to stick around to find out who Kevin was talking to.

"Oh shit," Seth shoved at Sami's side while Roman hauled Dean away from the wall they were standing against, the bag of chocolate hitting the ground, scattering.

"Gotta go Dad," Roman hit end, cutting his father off in mid-yell, and shoved his phone into his pocket.

Tearing across the square toward the parking lot, the four of them were practically shoving people out of their way while Sami continuously apologized.

"Fuck, how did he find us?" Seth asked, breathless as they cut across the parking lot, trying to locate which row of cars they had parked in.

Roman looked over his shoulder. He could still see Kevin but there were a couple other men who he didn't recognize who were also coming their way. And they were coming fast.

Sami found the car first and Roman dug the keys from his pocket to unlock the doors. Dean was still growling when Roman shoved him into the car and slammed the door. As soon as they were all in he turned over the ignition and the engine of the vehicle roared to life.

"Hurry, he's right there!" Seth was yelling and Roman threw the car into reverse, just about to time Kevin reached them and practically jumped onto the hood.

"He's mine!" Kevin was screaming, "You can't hide from me! He's mine!"

Roman peeled out and sent the car in reverse, narrowing missing other parked cars, but it sent Kevin sliding off the hood.

"Drive! Drive!" Sami was panicking and Dean had gone deathly quiet in the passenger's seat, eyes wide and backpack clutched to his chest with both arms.

They made it out of the parking lot and Roman sped through a red light, lucky that no one had been crossing through the intersection at that time. Both Seth and Sami were turned in their seats, watching out the back window to see if they were being followed. Not taking any chances, Roman drove through several maze-like streets of the city before he pulled onto an interstate that led out of San Francisco entirely.

"I can't...fucking believe that just happened," Seth's voice was unsteady and Roman glanced over at Dean. He was still holding onto the backpack for dear life, staring out the window.

That was too close for comfort. Way too close. And it served as a reminder of a fact that Roman already knew- this was far from over.

About thirty minutes away from his house, Roman picked up his phone and made another call.

"What up, cuz?" the voice answered the other line after just two rings, "You just now remember I existed?' It was said in good humor but Roman really didn't have time for jokes right now.

"Hey Jimmy, uh, I hate to do this but can I ask you for a favor?"

"Yeah, of course," Jimmy was quick to answer, "what do you need?"

"A friend of mine and I need a place to crash in LA for a little while and I was hoping we could stay with you?"

"You know you don't even need to ask, cuz," Roman could hear the smile in Jimmy's voice and he sighed in relief, "it'll be nice to see you anyway."

The rest of the phone call was short, with Roman saying they would be in Los Angeles later that evening. He just needed to grab some clothes from the house, round up John Wayne, and they could head south.

"What are we supposed to do?" Seth asked once Roman was off the phone.

"Lay low...we know the kind of shit they're capable of," Roman brought a hand up to rub at his face while the other stayed firmly on the steering wheel. He glanced in the rear view mirror to make sure there wasn't a car noticeably following them.

"Yeah..." Seth trailed off and Sami was still rather pale, "we should probably stick together, Sami. Ask for a week off work or something, I'll cover your pay..."

The conversation in the backseat continued and Roman zoned out, glancing at Dean in concern. Dean hadn't moved, hadn't said a word. He reached over and placed a reassuring hand on his thigh and squeezed gently.

"No one's going to take you from me."

Roman wished he could be completely certain about that.