019. CRAVING AFFECTION

✎ S1E6 ⇢ ˗ˏˋ PART 5 , 2019

|"THE INNOCENTS"
 

      As the phone rang unanswered for the umpteenth time, Hughie's concern for his friend, Dean, deepened. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. Worried lines creased his forehead as he rubbed it harshly, replaying memories of the swift commotion that had conspired between Dean and Mesmer. Only with a blink of an eye was Dean nowhere to be seen, and Mesmer was up against a wall, fear written all over his worrisome face. The coffee table was upturned, and everything on it was scattered as if something rushed through it. Mesmer didn't say anything about it, much to Hughie's distaste.

Everything was going so well. If only Mesmer hadn't resisted the urge to look into Dean's mind. What did Mesmer see anyway for him to disappear so suddenly? And since when did Dean have such power to disappear like so? Hughie's thoughts rattle vigorously throughout his mind as his fingers tap continuously on the table. His eyes remain on his phone screen, watching as his recent calls to Dean go up in numbers, already in the two digit mark.

"Hey, are you listening? What's wrong?" Annie's voice, his girlfriend, Starlight questioned as she sat across from him at table in the bar he had his 'mishap' with Dean a few days ago. Her slender pale fingers grip around his arm, which was relentlessly tapping on the table. It stopped once she made contact with him, reminding him that he had someone he cared deeply about next to him. Who was also concerned about his well-being.

Hughie stared at her hand, then conjoined his fingers with hers after coming back to the present. He smiled at her, putting his worried thoughts about Dean away. She smiled at his actions.

He shakes his head and speaks. "Nothing. What were you saying?"

Annie's face contorts from concern to a mixture of different emotions. She patted their conjoined fingers and then separated hers from his. She shrugs and leans against the table. "Never mind - you know what? Why don't we just not talk about any more hero stuff tonight?"

"Yeah, yeah," Hughie nods fast, putting all his attention to her needs. He takes a sip of his water and puts it aside. "Bad day at work?"

Annie nods, understatement a deeper meaning than what Hughie thought of. "Yeah. It's an understatement." She cocks her head to the side and smiles. "You know, there's this beach in the Bahamas where the sand is pink, like, cotton-candy pink."

Hughie smiles at his girlfriend's words. Though as much as he tried to be invested in her words, his mind always went back to Dean. Wondering where he went and where he could be at the moment. "What's it called?" He asks.

"Pink sands." They both laugh simultaneously. Hughie looks down to the table as he does so. "It's not the most creative name, but... let's just go." Annie just wanted a getaway from everyone and everything. It drained her soul, and she was almost out.

"Yeah. No, I can, uh... learn how to play the steel drum. You can get cornrows." Hughie jokes.

"How about tonight?" She abruptly announces, catching him off guard.

Hughie's face turns into a frown as he looks away for a second, finding Robin staring right at him. He eyes remained unmoving, watching as she stood in her bloodied clothes. He quickly looks down. "Um, I don't, I don't know- Hey, have you heard or seen Dean recently?" His eyes go back to Annie catching Robin still looking at him. Trying to change the subject to get her off his mind.

"Uh," She laughs dryly and captures her drink in her hands. She stared at it until her voice decided to answer. "He wasn't at work. He was supposed to return from his vacation today but didn't show up. Wouldn't blame him."

Annie watches as his face gets even more concerned. She knew about him and Dean's weird relationship. She wasn't against it. It was just...uncommon for her to see. "Why?" She inquires.

"Nothing, it's just-" Hughie rubs his head and grabs his drink, clamping both hands around it. "We had uh...situation early today, and he hasn't answered his phone."

"Hmm..." Annie nods. "A situation?" What could it be for him to be this worried about?

Hughie laughs with uneasiness. "It was just a stupid argument. He kinda took it too seriously."

"I see. Maybe he just needs some time?" Annie stated, obviously.

Hughie stares, having a realization at the thought that maybe he did just need some time. He could have at least left a message for him, though. "You're right. Maybe he does-"

His phone suddenly pings, and they both look to see who had messaged him. It read as stated,

{ Hey its Dean. Texting from a different phone. Luckily I only remember your phone number haha. But seriously I kinda need you here, drank too much again, need a ride home. You down? }

"See?" Annie says as she also reads the message. She messages Hughie hand tenderly. "He'd come around. So why don't we go and pick him up in a little bit?"

Hughie's concern dispates as he reads the message over and over, happy that Dean finally responded. He shuts off his phone and rubs her hand. "You always know what to say."

"I know." She smugly says. "I'm glad to have found you, Hughie Campbell, though all the shitshow New York has to offer."

Hughie smiles and caresses her pale cheek. "And I'm glad to have found you, Annie January."

As their eyes locked, the air between them seemed to hum with anticipation. Annie could feel her heart racing, mirroring the intensity in Hughie's lovingly gaze. With a gentle tilt of their heads, they leaned in, their lips mere inches apart, the world around them fading into a blur as they surrendered to the magnetic pull drawing them together. At last, their lips met, filling the much needed space with strawberry. More or less, which Annie could smell. Hughie's hair scent filled her nostrils, and she smiled as she continued to kiss him.

"Hughie." Hughie's overfill emotion of happiness quickly renderes zero as the voice of Butcher fills the tension. He lets go of Annie and slowly looks up to see Butcher watching him smugly. Knowing he bluntly told Butcher, he wasn't affiliated with Starlight romantically, but there he was. Kissing her. "I thought that was you." He continues on. "Ha. Oh. Oh, I apologize. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Hughie smiles half-heartedly to him, knowing Butcher would do so again just to spite in his face.

"No." Annie responds. She raises her hand, holding it out for the man beside the table. "Hi, I'm Annie."

Butcher returns the gesture. "Billy. Old mate of Hughie's."

"Ah, boy. You really..." Annie starts off. It was Anthony, then Dean, and now Butcher, who's met them miraculously at the same bar. She lets go of Butcher's hand and turns to Hughie. "You have a lot of friends showing up here."

"Yeah." Hughie nonchalantly agrees, staring at Butcher. "Seems like it."

Hughie was rigid and filled with uneasiness as Butcher continued to converse with Annie. Greeting her as fake as ever, with also posing as a supposed fan of women in power. What even made the situation even more dreadfully, he had the audacity to mention Translucent wellbeing to Annie. Knowing full well what had happened to the supe. Hughie, if he could, if he had the power, he would shut Butcher up and ship him off to the nearest planet. If not, the sun.

"You know what?" Annie states as he comes back to the situation. "I'm gonna go get us a pitcher. Billy, you like... let me guess. Guinness?"

"I like what you like." Billy replies with smugness.

"All right. Be right back." Annie stated as she got up and left.

Right when she is out of earshot, they both spoke at the same time.

"Well, well, well."

"Butcher..." Hughie becomes more and more unstable in his emotions as Butcher presence remains still, not moving anytime soon.

"She's quite tasty up close and personal. I get what you seen in her." Butcher assessed.

Hughie responds fast, concerned of what comes next with knowing Butcher. "That wasn't what-"

"I thought we had an understanding." Butcher demanded.

"We do. We do. It's... it's not what it-"

Butcher interrupts Hughie once again to state the obvious. "Not what it looks like? 'Cause from where I'm sitting, it looks like you've got your tongue halfway down the opposition's throat."

Hughie had enough of Butcher disapproving of his relationship with Annie. He gets closer to Butcher and speaks. "She is not the opposition. She's a good person, okay? Why, why don't you say things like this about Dean? He's also part of the seven."

"That cunt?" Butcher laugh ridiculously and leans closer. "I've got him right where I want him. And he's alright with it too, ain't gotta worry about him."

This only confused Hughie more. Why was he so lenient to one supe but not for another? "Then why are so stuck up about Annie? I mean, she could help us." Hughie pleads.

"Help us?" Butcher reiterates.

"Yeah."

Butcher voice was a low rumble, rough around the edges, like gravel being dragged across pavement. Each word seemed to scrape against the air, leaving a gritty trail of sound in its wake. "And what do you think she's gonna do when she finds out you murdered Translucent?"

When? Was Butcher insinuating that he'll tell her if he doesn't stop seeing her? He couldn't do that...could he? "When she finds out?" He restates.

Butcher simply smiles mysteriously as he looks back to Annie. "Give her my best." He then left at that.

Hughie was left with a sense of doubt in his relationship and the worry of Annie's wellbeing when Butcher was around. Unable to predict what he could do but know what he was capable of.

"Where'd your friend go?" Annie asks as she returned with the pitcher.

Hughie stares until he shakes his head. "Had something to take care of."

Hughie grabs the pitcher and pours some in his cup, filling it to the top. Not noticing Annie's concerned face with how much he poured. "Let's finish our drinks and get Dean."

════════════════════════════

     "He's at a...gay bar? At this time of night? What exactly did you two argue about?" Annie voices with confusion as she sat in the driver seat. Parking the car across the road, watching as men entering the building.

Hughie leans foward to get a visual on what Annie saw. He then looks to his phone and checks the address Dean gave him. "Guess he just needed a release?"

"Guess isn't the word I would use..." Annie says with a stiff laugh. Their eyes remain on the people until she spoke again. "So how are we doing this?"

"What?" Hughie says with furrow eyebrows.

"I mean," Annie then turns in her seat and looks into Hughie's eyes. "I can't exactly walk in there. It's meant for guys only, but you can. Are you alright with that?"

"I, I uh," Hughie wasn't alright with it but if it meant Dean was going to go somewhere safe then he would do it. He would do it for him. He closes his eyes and gulps. "I mean I kinda have to. He stopped responding to my messages again. Let's just hope no guy rubs up against me." Hughie spoke, lightening up the situation.

They both laugh. Annie then pulls Hughie by his collar and spoke lowly. "Just get my co-worker out of there so we can get him home yeah?"

Hughie looks to her lips and smile. "Of course."

Their lips connect for a second and Annie slaps his shoulder. "Alright, go get him tiger."

The night draped itself in a shroud of cold and darkness, like a heavy cloak pulled tightly around the world as he got out and looked around. The moon, a mere sliver in the sky, cast feeble rays that barely penetrated the thick veil of mist that hung in the air. He makes it to the front entrance and had to wait for a few mintues but eventually they let him in after showing his ID. He already noticed one or two guys looking at him weirdly. He began to feel uncomfortable and the search for Dean was a mission he wanted to complete as quick as possible.

Navigating through the club at night felt like wading through a sea of pulsating energy to Hughie. The thumping bass reverberated through the air, vibrating the floor beneath his feet with every step he took. Neon lights flickered and danced, casting vibrant hues across the writhing bodies on the dance floor. The air was thick with the mingling scents of sweat and alcohol, creating an intoxicating atmosphere that enveloped him as he navigated through the crowd. Voices merged into a cacophony of laughter and conversation, punctuated by the occasional burst of cheering or applause. It was a sensory overload, a whirlwind of sights and sounds that pulled him deeper into the heart of the night.

It was too dark, with the occasional burst of neon lights here and there for Hughie to see clearly. How was he supposed to find Dean with all of the sensory overload taking over his senses? He was soon stopped by a rough hand grabbing his, making him turn. He saw a man who was relatively well built and had wavy black hair, he suprised himself he could see such detail on someone next to him.

"Hey," The man spoke seductively, he then lets his hand slowly graze up Hughie's arm. Hughie remained unmoving, as he gets more uncomfortable. "Got anyone to dance with tonight?"

"Uh," Hughie starts off, watching as the man slowly gets in his bubble. "No. No I mean no I don't but I don't want to-"

"Sorry bud, but he's mine for the night." As the familiar voice drifted into the enlarge area, a wave of warmth washed over Hughie, the voice instantly recognizable amid the noisey music along with the inaudible conversation that went about. It was Dean.

Dean's arm sluggishly draped over Hughie's shoulders. Hughie could practically smell the alcohol radiating off Dean's frame. He smile, thankfully at Dean's save from the uncomfortable situation.

The man rolls his eyes. "Whatever."

Dean said nothing else and navigated Hughie to the end of the room, where a empty table awaited their arrival. They both sat across from each other. Hughie's eyes remain on Dean, a slight smile on his face while Dean eyes remain on him but slightly divert when certain men walk pass the table.

"So uh Dean, what happened?" Hughie finally spoke after the weird tension disapates. He sees Dean in a Jean flannel with his short hair unbrushed, his facial hair now prominent with the dirty blonde color just like his hair.

Dean's eyes remain on men until Hughie had to restate his words with more force. "Dean, you listening?"

"Oh yeah," He finally says. He chugs down a drink that was on the table. Hughie looks and sees their was multiple empty cups on the table. It made him had a sense of discomfort, knowing something like what happened between them could happen again. "What's going on man?"

"What's going on?" Hughie reiterates. He leans onto the table and crosses his arms. "You left- somehow back at the house. I don't even know how and Mesmer ends up against the wall. What'd you do?"

He sees Dean look down and fumble with the drink. "I don't know...I saw something, well we saw something. Doesn't matter now, I have a feeling I'm gonna get laid and it's with," Dean quickly drifts off and points to a random guy nearby. "With that guy right there." He exclaims sluggishly.

Dean gets up and begins to go to the man but Hughie gets up first and pushes Dean back. "No, no, no Dean. Remember you texted me wanting me to take you home? Remember that?"

"Hmm," Dean hums. He bites his lip as he thinks it over. He then shakes his head tiredly. "Nope."

"Ugh, Dean seriously." Hughie groans. He tries to grab Dean's arm but he moves away and drags the man over to them.

Hughie puts his face in his palm as he groans from Dean relentless motivation to get the guy. They soon come back, and the man remains behind Dean. Hughie saw how the man's hand remain on Dean's hips. "Hey meet Hughie. Hughie meet the man I'm gonna sleep with tonight."

Hughie watching, slightly disturbed by the man behind Dean. He puts his hands in his jacket pocket. "He kinda has to go home, he had a lot to drink-"

Hughie gets interupted by the man behind Dean. He snuggles more into Dean, going with the beat of the music playing. Their hips moving at the same speed. Hughie eyes this. "I'm sure this man speak for himself, you're welcome to stay longer too, Hughie was it?"

Hughie's eyes widen as his mouth moved but his voice staggers as he tried to find an answer. Dean watched Hughie's response, interested on what he had to say. "I don't uh, I don't do-" He takes a breath in and sighs. "I'm just a friend looking out for another. I'm sure you understand uh..."

"David." The guy says. "And it's no problem, I mean I would tell him to go with you but look who it is. It fucking Rebound, I'm not missing this opportunity." The man begins to places kisses on Dean's neck to which Dean's opens more for his lips, content with the affection he's receiving. His body gives in to the man but his eyes remain on Hughies still.

"Fine." Hughie says. Hughie's eyes remain connected with Dean but soon enough he looks away. "I'll just go home." He wasn't going to wait for Dean to have sex with fan.

"Wait, Hughie." Dean voices begs. His wrist gets captured by Dean, and he gets pushed closer, chest to chest. This time, the man behind Dean continues to lather his mouth on Dean's neck while he looks at Hughie with pleading eyes. "Stay."

In the hushed weird intimacy of their shared gaze, time seemed to suspend, the world narrowing down to just the two of them. With their proximity close as ever. Their eyes locked in a silent conversation, each wordless exchange echoing with unspoken truths and hidden desires. Inches apart, they could feel the warmth of each other's breath, the electricity of their proximity crackling in the charged air between them. It was as if the universe had conspired to bring them together in that moment, drawing them irresistibly closer with every heartbeat. Dean's hand slowly creeps up his neck to his cheekbone. And this time it didn't feel weird and uncomfortable compared to the stranger that did something similar.

But Hughie had to remind himself he was solely here to get him home. That's it. Hughie watches as Dean's uncommon pleading eyes with a mixture of lust look back at him. Seeing if he would break the barrier, he so wished he could.

Hughie smiles sadly and looks down. He closes his eyes and gulps. "Annie's in the car, waiting Dean..."

"Annie." Dean says, lingering her name on his tongue. It seemed his lust and craving for affection died down right after her name was said from Hughie soft voice. Dean sighs and turns to the man. He smiles and pats his chest, then slowly dragging a finger on it. "Gotta get home."

"Really?" The guy scoffs and backs up from Dean. "So you just make moves on me and just say never mind right after? No." The guy was stubborn, Hughie'll give him that.

"No?" Dean says with confusion. Amid his drunkenness, he was able to assess that the man was insinuating something else.

"Yeah." The man crosses his arm over his shirt. "I'll tell everyone you were at a gay club."

Dean laughs and looks at Hughie, ridiculing the guy. Hughie gets closer to Dean, seeing that the man is getting angry. He places a hand on his forearm. "Dean, I don't think --"

No --" Dean dismisses Hughie with a hand. He then gets closer to the man. "You think that's a threat? I'll show you a threat buddy."

Hughie sees the anger on both their faces, he comes between them and tries to simmer down the tension but gets pushed roughly by the guy. He falls roughly and landed face first. He groans as he picks up his head and feels a tint of metallic taste in his mouth. "Stay out of this you stupid fuck." The man yells.

"Hey!" Dean quickly gets in front of Hughie and pushes the man. "Don't you fucking touch him again."

"Or what?" The man whispers to Dean. Seeing how they were getting eyes on them Hughie cowers into himself on the ground. He couldn't hear what Dean had said to the man but it seemed enough to get him second guessing himself. The man's eyes widen and fear struck through them, he quickly turned and left the area. Hughie feels his bottom lip more puffer than before.

"Come on, Hughie." Dean said tenderly to Hughie. He grabs him by his underarms and helps him up. Hughie was slightly disoriented by the head bump to the ground but was able to walk with the help from Dean.

Dean rubs his back with affection as his other hand holds him under his elbow. Hughie and Dean didn't say anything else as they made it back outside to Annie, who was leaning against the door.

Her eyes found them both and quickly met them halfway on the road. "God Hughie, I leave you alone to handle something, and you end up like this!? What happened?"

Hughie feels Dean hand leave his back and feels the desire to have it put back but walks with the presence of Annie back to the car.

"Some guy pushed him, but I handled it. Kind of." Dean said with a mixture of tiredness and sluggish in his words. Hughie watched as he trips over his feet as he made it to the back of the car.

"Next time let me handle it, okay Hughie?" Without getting into the car, she rubs his hair with affection. He smiles and leans into it as much as he can. She kisses him, to which he does too. But as he opened his eyes, he quickly saw Dean looking at him with a questionable gaze but then quickly looked away.

"Let's get him home."

...

As both Hughie and Dean make it up to the front of his steps, Hughie had to help him a bit, and he tripped over himself. "Okay, Dean, give me your keys."

"They're in my pocket." He says, leaning against the wall. Hughie searches the back pockets of his jeans, but Dean, as usual, makes a joke. "Woah, Hughie. You've got a girlfriend."

Hughie's mouth forms in a gritty way as he finds the keys. "Just getting your keys, Dean." He then unlocks the door and pushes him in his house.

"You're gonna be fine for the rest of the night?" Hughie asks as he crosses his arms and stands in front of the door. Watching Dean as he leans on the door frame.

"Yeah, I guess..." Dean rubs his eyes and sighs. "You alright, though, Hughie, busted your lip there." Dean points to his own bottom lip as to express what was seen on Hughie.

"I'm fine, it's nothing." Hughie dismisses.

But Dean continues to express concern and walks to him, touching Hughie's cheek. Hughie tenses up at his action, knowing Annie was watching from afar. "It doesn't seem like -"

"I said I'm fine." Hughie spits, pushing his hand away roughly. He didn't mean to be so harsh, maybe his conflicted emotions were getting to him.

Dean simply hums and nods. He then entered his house and slowly closed the door but then spoke. His mind refused him to say anything, but his heart wanted Hughie to at least know the sum of it. "What I saw was me and soldier boy getting experimented on... Have a good night, Hughie."

"No- Wait, Dean -" Hughie was met with a door to his face. He sighs and leans his head against it. Why did he have a memory of him and soldier boy? Soldier boy was way older than Dean was. He had to ask him when he's more sober. And what was going on between them? At this point, he himself didn't even know. Maybe he did, but he refused to elaborate on it. He shouldn't worry though. He was going to spend the night with Annie anyway. Hopefully, go on that vacation she wanted. But with supes around, Homelander, more specifically, probably not.

While Hughie spent the night with Annie, romantically, Dean spent his night crying relentlessly in his bathroom with multiple beers scattered around. The memory replaying in his head, the sum he gave to Hughie, didn't compare to what he experienced when Mesmer forced it out of him. His dog occasionally cuddled next to him when seeing his downed posture. Dean was glad at least someone he cared about staying with him that night. Lord knows what would happen if someone didn't...