The circus arrived only a few hours later than scheduled in Pipestone and began to set up ready for the big weekend shows. Raymond tasked Billie, Juan and a group of the other kids with their usual job of running around the town putting up posters to publicise the circus.

"Hey!" Billie grinned as he saw Dean approaching him carrying a wad of paper flyers, "How did you get roped into this as well?"

"He volunteered," Anita winked at Billie as she walked past towards a waiting Juan.

Dean shrugged, suddenly looking slightly embarrassed, "I figured you could do with some help?"

"Yeah! Definitely," Billie beamed. "Plus it's always fun to watch how excited all the towners get when they see us."

Dean gave a soft grin, "That why you're a fox today?"

Billie laughed and nodded. Lorraine always did everybody's face paint for when they went into town, it helped create more of a spectacle.

"You okay being seen with a man wearing makeup out in public?" Billie teased as Dean chuckled, but there was a clear vein of nerves in the question.

"Sure. I'm part of the circus now right?"

Billie' heart hitched as he realised Dean's voice had raised tentatively at the end, turning it into a question.

"Of course you are!" Billie exclaimed, nudging Dean in the chest. "And circus folk take care of their own okay?"

Dean nodded shyly as he halved his pile of posters and gave a chunk to Billie.

"Are you guys coming?" Henry called back. "Get a wiggle on - I'm starving and Salvatore won't let us eat before this job's done!"

Dean and Billie grinned as they ran after the rest of the group and descended into the town.

***

"Quite a lively little place huh?" Billie remarked to Juan as they ran down the wide street with large buildings on either side. Juan was entertaining the passing crowds by jumping up and swinging between the lampposts, landing in a crouch and a cartwheel as the town kids cheered ecstatically.

Billie laughed manically as he ran forwards to vault over Juan, landing in front of him and looking back with a mischievous look and a wiggle of his ass.

Billie could see Dean rolling his eyes in the background but the other boy was laughing along with everyone else as Juan rose to the challenge and soon the two of them were putting on an impromptu acrobatics show.

"Salvatore will be mad that you're not charging for this," Viv called out as Billie came jogging back towards the group, panting with his face flushed.

"Nah," Elmer shook his head. "He'll be fine with it as long as it drums up larger crowds for opening night."

"Besides -" Billie shrugged. "We're just giving them a taster!"

"What did you think?" Billie asked coyly, as he drew up beside Dean who looked like he was trying to control a smile.

"I think you dropped all your posters on the sidewalk," Dean commented.

"Oh rats!" Billie laughed as he wheeled round and saw his half of the circus flyers in a pile on the side of the street. He hurried over to scoop them all up before the wind could blow the rest of them away.

"We should split up," Henry suggested. "Get this done faster?"

"Sounds good," Anita nodded. "Everyone partner up and we'll take different streets."

Billie hesitated for a moment as he caught Dean's eye, wondering if the other boy would want to go with him. However, he quickly noticed Marie pretend-creeping towards them, causing him to blurt out, "I'll go with Dean!"

Dean's face rearranged into one bemusement before he nodded, "Sure."

*

"So..." Billie began as they rounded a corner down a smaller street. There had been nothing but silence for the past five minutes and it was starting to make him jittery. "You going to watch my act tomorrow?"

Dean paused for a moment in the alleyway, narrowing his eyes at Billie,

"I always come and watch your act Billie, and I think you know that."

Billie swallowed hard as Dean's fingers brushed lightly up against his.

"Yeah?" Billie shifted the pile of posters nervously under his other arm. "What's your favourite part?"

Dean smiled softly as his fingers linked through Billie's to render them effectively holding hands.

"Your contortion show. When you're safely on the ground and I don't have to worry about you braining yourself."

Billie laughed, but it came out as high pitched and somewhat strangled.

"Also," Dean began, his voice low and steady. "I like how you look during it."

If Billie were thinking clearly at that point he would have been mildly embarrassed by the whimpering sound he made following that particular admission. He felt Dean's hand tighten around his own.

"I never knew someone could bend like that," the other boy continued, "You can pretty much fold in half."

"Yeah, it's kind of fun," Billie gulped.

"I think it would be more fun with someone else involved," Dean's voice was so quiet now it was almost a whisper.

Billie suddenly drew to a stop, his mouth dropping open in shock, the posters falling to the floor with a dull thud. Dean jerked his head back round to look at Billie, before his eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"Billie, I'm sorry - I went too far," Dean sighed and shook his head, letting go of Billie's fingers and bringing his hand up to rub down his face. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Wait," Billie paused, narrowing his eyes. "Were you just making a dirty joke about me getting a girlfriend or..."

Dean chewed his lip for a moment before looking back up at Billie, "Or..." he repeated.

"You...you're like that?" Billie asked, still not sure if he could quite believe what he was hearing.

"Are...aren't you?" Dean suddenly looked aghast.

"I am!" Billie cried out before Dean could rush off, which he seemed like he was about to do. "I mean I've never...but I feel...yes..."

Billie laughed miserably at his own ineloquence. When he looked back up, Dean was smiling fondly at him before drawing closer and running his hands up Billie's arms.

"Do you feel that way about me?" Dean asked, quirking an eyebrow at Billie who bit his lip before nodding vigorously.

Dean grinned and dipped his head forward to press his lips against Billie's. Billie gasped softly as he felt Dean's tongue slide gently into his mouth, curving around his own.

Dean's hand moved round his body, trailing up his back and coming to rest at the back of his neck. His fingers softly caressing the bottom of Billie's scalp and making him feel tingles running down his spine.

Billie couldn't help but laugh as Dean drew back, his lips smudged black with transferred face paint. Dean rolled his eyes as Billie explained with a quick peck on the older boy's mouth,

"We should wipe it off before the others see it," Billie grinned. "Not that I don't want them to know," He added hastily after seeing Dean's expression. "Just if they see it like this - we'll never hear the end of it."

Dean huffed a laugh as he ran his hands down Billie sides, leaning in to press their lips together again as Billie melted into the touch.

"Told you all circus freaks were fucking pansies!" came a rough voice from behind them, making Billie jump and wheel round in surprise.

A group of four boys stood at the entrance to the alleyway, they didn't look much older than Dean but they were a hell of a lot uglier looking. Mean, rough faces, sneering as they stared Billie up and down.

"Only a fairy would wear makeup!"

Dean stepped protectively in front of Billie, pushing the other boy back to shield him with his body.

"What do you want?" Dean snapped.

Billie couldn’t help but fall into Dean’s shadow, his body trembling with adrenaline.

"Relax," sneered one the boys. "We're just here for the show!" He laughed nastily as he picked up one of the discarded posters.

"My mama told me circuses were hotbeds of immorality - they got coochie girls and everything - no good Christian would be caught dead there!" One of the other, lankier boys announced loudly.

"Just a bunch of freaks," spat a third boy, gesturing at Billie and Dean. "Everyone knows it's full of freaks and whores."

"Guess you're both huh fairy?" the first boy asked with a definite leer in Billie's direction. "Say - how much for a sneak preview?"

"Beat it," Dean growled, his voice gravelly and menacing.

"This is a good Christian town," the lanky boy insisted angrily. "We don't want folks like you here!"

"We'll be leaving then," Billie bit out. "Just let us past and we'll be happy to get out of your unwashed hair."

Billie grabbed Dean's hand firmly before pulling them both towards the boys and the entrance to the alleyway. The boys let them out onto the street but then quickly formed a threatening circle around Billie and Dean.

Billie squeezed Dean's fingers tighter as he felt the older boy draw him in so they were pressed up against each other's sides.

"You okay?" Dean murmured, turning to dip his head reassuringly against Billie's.

"I'll be better when we get away from these saps," Billie muttered with more bravado than he felt.

"I think we need to teach you a lesson," the first boy said, cracking his knuckles as he advanced on them.

Billie flinched but Dean was already moving with surprising speed, his own fist clenched and landing squarely on the boy's jaw.

Billie let out a strangled laugh at the boy's shocked expression. He fell backwards, sprawling into the street with an outraged cry.

"Let's go," Dean ordered, turning back to Billie and reaching out his hand, but suddenly another of the boys slammed into Dean's side, knocking them both to the sidewalk with an 'oof'.

Billie yelped as the bible-bashing boy made a beeline straight for him. Billie leapt up on top of the trashcans and swung up to the gutter wondering just how stupid these Rubes were for picking a fight with circus folk, because any minute now...

"HEY, RUBE!!!"

The battle cry went up from somewhere down the street, signalling the start of a brawl between towners and the circus.

Within seconds the area was swarming with familiar faces as Billie let out a sigh of relief and gave an approaching Walter a mock salute.

No one wanted to be in a fight against Walter.

"You alright?" Billie called out to Dean as he shimmied back down the drain pipe.

"Billie!" Dean shouted as he frantically wheeled around the fray, finally spotting Billie jogging over to him. Dean lurched forward, wrapping Billie up in a bone-crushing embrace.

"Ow fuck - you might want let up a little there big guy - I know I'm a contortionist but come on!" Billie laughed weakly

"Sorry," Dean murmured as he nosed against Billie's neck. "I couldn't find you - I got worried."

"I'm fine," Billie grinned ruefully. "You'd be surprised how often this happens - townsfolk are always looking for a fight and boy do they find one!"

Billie grinned as one of the original boys who had been threatening them went spinning past with a nosebleed, a maniacally chuckling Melvin wrapped around his leg.

"Careful!" Dean snapped as he grabbed Billie and pulled him away from a flying bottle which smashed on the ground next to them.

"Dean - it's okay, honestly," Billie smiled as Dean frowned and marched him out of the ensuing brawl.

Billie spotted Lola and Viv stood on the far side of the street, Lola was shaking her head at them both. "Seriously?" she called out as they trotted up to her. "We leave you alone for ten minutes!"

"Totally wasn't my fault this time!" Billie exclaimed indignantly, "Three months ago in Illinois - that was probably my fault with the whole biting that guy's hand thing, but this?" Billie spread his arms, indicating the rabble behind him, "Completely not my fault!"

"You bit someone?" Dean asked, looking slightly bewildered.

"Yeah, well he said something nasty to Juan." Billie shrugged, "I told you man - circus folk take care of their own." He grinned as he reached out to bring Dean closer to him, "Not that I didn't appreciate you being my hero back there."

"Um Dean?" Viv looked like she was trying not to laugh. "You've got some black on your lips there that I'm pretty sure isn't a bruise."

Dean went bright red as he groaned and buried his face in Billie's shoulder.