Dean Ambrose was the most dedicated Chef de Partie at Serenity, a quaint bistro located in Ohio. He was always the first to arrive and the last to leave.
His work station was organised to perfection.
On his right side, he had his knives - stainless steel and made in Germany - all sharpened and shiny.
On his left, his favorite kitchen towel. It could absorb literally anything.
He always wore a watch on his left hand and always made sure his uniform was pressed. He went about his daily routine with speed and close to perfect execution.
Before he left, he always ensured that his mis-en-plus were prepared for the next day; that stocks were sufficient and were arranged according to their expiry dates.
Customers loved his French onion soup. Some swore it was the best in the country. It made Dean proud. It always took him four hours to caramelise the onions.
It may sound like a cliché but he cooked from his heart. There was nothing he wanted more than to own a restaurant of his own.
Oh he was going to achieve it, alright. He just needed more time to understand the business side of things.
Life was good to him. He had a job he loved, a tidy sum of money stashed aside, a cosy apartment he called home and the recognition from customers he sought after.
But all that changed when his new executive chef came on board.
Roman Reigns was a man who resembled those beautiful marble statues you see in art museums. Grey eyes and raven locks tied neatly in a man bun.
He had the most genuine smile on his face. And when he introduced himself to Dean, it was a miracle that he hadn't made a fool of himself.
He stammered his name and if Roman had thought he was weird, he certainly give any sign at all.
Roman had worked in restaurants all over the world. His speciality was Italian cuisine and the last restaurant he had worked for was Osteria Francescana as an Executive Sous Chef.
Why he chose to leave a three starred Michelin ranked restaurant to a bistro like this was a puzzle to Dean.
Over the next few weeks, Roman observed the cooks in the kitchen, often writing notes. Then he made some shuffle in the sections.
Dean wasn't affected.
For the most part, the cooks were happy with the new arrangement. Some began to thrive.
Roman was unlike any executive chefs Dean had worked under. He went out of his way to teach any apprentice or cook that needed help.
It was what made Dean start to admire him from afar.
There was nothing wrong with having a crush, right? Dean certainly thought so.
Until Roman started inviting him for lunch. He politely declined. But that didn't not deter Roman who kept inviting day after day until Dean decided to agree - a good three weeks later.
Roman looked like he had struck the jackpot.
Lunch was at the small café two doors away from Serenity. They made small talks about themselves and their lives.
Dean had to know - he just had to - why Roman had left such a prestigious restaurant to come here.
"I came here for you."
He had not been expecting that. "Me? You didn't even know me until three weeks ago. "
"Of course I knew you before. You may not remember me because I was chubby back then but you were the buddy I was assigned to here. You had been working here for two years and I was this dorky trainee from culinary school. You were kind and patient and showed me during the limited time we had the tricks I needed to survive. I had a crush on you and I promised myself that I'd make you proud. That when I finally asked you out, I would be someone worthy of you."
That was something that left him speechless. He had no idea that he left such an impression on someone. "Apprentice or not, I wouldn't have thought lesser of you."
Roman smiled then. "Trust me. The whole thing's been worth it. So would you… like to catch a movie with me sometime? If not, I'll understand-"
Dean reached across the table and held his hand. "I'd love to."
They went on their first date the following night, became official two weeks later and moved in together nine months after.
Two years later, they were in the process of having their dream restaurant renovated.
As he sat beside him on the bench in front of their restaurant, watching on as the signage was being put in place, Roman turned to look at him. "Is this how you always dreamt it would be?"
"It's even better."
A/N This was written for my Tumblr friend, spanishfanito who encouraged me a lot through my dark period in writing.