First dates and honesty.


There are a bunch of new messages waiting for Seth when he pulls his phone out of his desk on his lunch break, and it fills him with anxiety and excitement in equal turns.

Honestly, he has no idea what he's doing here, and he doesn't want to dwell on it much because he's certain if he does, he'll drive himself insane.

He just can't believe that this is his life right now, that he somehow managed to snag the attention of Dean fucking Ambrose, that Dean is even remotely interested in him, that they're somehow trading texts after a chance meeting in Seth's gym.

After running to the cafeteria to grab a salad, Seth returns to his desk and unlocks his phone, scrolling through the messages with one hand while he eats with the other.

[07:47] too much?
[07:48] sry :(
[07:51] im just an upfront kind of guy
[07:52] hope that's not gonna be a problem

On the contrary, that's so much from being a problem, it actually fills Seth with relief. He's been with too many people who were dodgy, secretive, never really said what they were thinking or feeling, and it led to a lot of bad breakups. Seth's glad Dean isn't that way, doesn't think he'd be able to deal with that from someone he's so into.

{11:45} no, not at all!
{11:45} sorry, man, just getting my lunch break

Seth shovels a forkful of greens into his mouth, chewing while he watches the screen on his phone dim, only to light up a few seconds later.

[11:47] oh. thought I scared u away

Seth snorts out a quiet laugh. There's probably very little Dean could do to scare him away, truth be told.

{11:48} nah. just working
{11:48} what are you up to?

Seth finishes his lunch, draining the remains of his bottle of water, tossing it all in the trashcan beside his desk. There isn't much he needs to do today in the way of grading and correcting assignments, and he's already submitted the midterm grades for all his classes.

He usually spends his lunch breaks dicking around on the internet, unless he has a student that needs some extra help and doesn't have any other time because of extracurricular activities.

His phone vibrates in his hand, twice in rapid succession.

The first is a photo of a mostly empty plate, the remains of what looks to be a steak and some kind of potato.

[11:52] eatin lunch

{11:53} that's a pretty heavy lunch, isn't it?

Seth wouldn't be able to do much if he put away that kind of meal for lunch. He's pretty damn useless after a good, filling meal.

[11:55] need the energy. Im a busy man.

Now, Seth doesn't make it a point to lie, and he's a little disgusted with himself that he's already let it progress without telling Dean he knows who he is, but he doesn't want to ruin this already. He knows the longer he goes without telling Dean, the worse it's going to be, but doesn't he deserve this little bit of happiness, even if it's temporary and will undoubtedly explode in his face?

{11:58} well, busy man, what do you have in mind for tonight?

They spend the remainder of Seth's lunch break bouncing ideas back and forth, but the last message Dean sends is filled with a lot of promise, and Seth really needs this day to go by faster.

[12:23] u'll love what I have in mind, don't worry ;)


Seth all but rushes out of the building when he can finally leave for the day, and he may or may not speed a little bit in his haste to get home.

Kevin is barking up a storm again when he gets through the door, and Seth spends a few minutes petting him before he leads him outside, taking in the breezy spring weather while he waits for Kevin to trot back over to him.

Even though there are a few hours between now and when Dean said he'd be arriving to pick him up, Seth feels like it's not enough time. He wants to shower again, this time more thoroughly, and he needs to trim his beard and take care of other hairy situations.

It's not that he's expecting sex, no, he'd just rather be prepared for it on the off chance it does happen. He's usually well-groomed, but that's fallen to the wayside as of late, too busy with work and everything it entails to really care about the state of his body hair, and what's the point of it, anyway, when he's going through probably the longest dry spell of his life.

He takes Kevin back in, gives him a treat and fills his food and water dishes, and heads off to his bedroom, opening the closet door and rifling through the clothes on the hanger.

He has no idea where Dean is taking him, so he isn't quite sure how to dress. Does he wear jeans and a t-shirt, or something more formal, something similar to what he's already wearing?

Dean doesn't really seem like the kind of guy who'd take Seth to some rich, fancy place for a first date, but therein lies the problem: however Dean may seem is probably not how he is at all. Dude's about as private as private can get, and there's almost no information about him anywhere, aside from a few interviews he did years back, but even those aren't much to go off of.

Seth sighs and flops down onto his bed. It feels like he's getting everything he wants, but he knows he shouldn't be taking it, not this way.

Whatever the plan for the night is, Seth resolves to be upfront and honest. If that's the kind of person Dean is, Seth should aspire to be the same, especially if they're going to get anywhere past tonight—not that he has high hopes for that.

He pushes himself off the bed, pulling clothes out at random. He knows what he looks best in, what flatters the curves and muscles on his body, and he lays those across the bed before hanging everything else back in the closet, going over to the dresser and pulling out a fresh pair of socks and boxer briefs.

It takes him almost an hour to shower, way longer than he normally lets himself stay in there, but he's squeaky clean from head to toe and everywhere in between, and all the untamed hair has been whipped into shape. All he has left to do is trim his beard, fix his hair, and get dressed, and he does it all in short order, standing in front of the full-length mirror in his bedroom, looking himself over.

He's wearing his best pair of dark wash jeans, and they cling to every muscle in his legs, framing his ass and drawing all attention to it. His shirt isn't anything special, a plain gray thing, but it's similar to his jeans, sleeves straining around his biceps, stretching tight across his chest and back, looser around his waist.

He looks good and he knows it, and he only wishes he felt half as good as that.

He's a bundle of nerves, stomach dipping and rolling like he's on the world's most insane rollercoaster, and it gets worse with every minute that ticks by.

What is he even doing. He's a teacher, for fuck's sake. What does he have to offer someone like Dean? Surely Dean could find someone better.

And what's more is that he hates that he's doubting himself like this. He's always known his worth, never once doubted that he deserved the good things that were happening to him, and now it's like he's reverted to an awkward teenager, unsure of themselves or their place in the world.

It's not a feeling he likes at all, and he kind of dislikes Dean for making him feel this way.

Kevin's barking pulls him from his thoughts, and he shuts off the lights in his room, shushing the dog as he makes his way out to the living room.

"Kev, shhh," Seth says, keeps his voice as firm as he can while whispering. Kevin looks up at him with disdain, jumping up on the sofa, looking ready to pounce. "Behave."

Seth's hands are shaking when he gets to the door, and it's almost as if he's forgotten how to breathe. His heart is beating a mile a minute inside his chest, but he pastes on a smile he doesn't quite feel, donning as much false bravado as he can.

Dean's rocking on the balls of his feet when Seth opens the door, and he looks no different than he does in the ring, minus the sweat coating his skin. He's wearing a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, leather jacket thrown over it all. His hair is dry and curling at the ends, and his smile is wide enough his eyes are squinted.

He's kind of ridiculously, stupidly hot.

Seth swallows roughly, opens the door a little wider, says, "Hey," and tries not to flush in embarrassment at the nervous tremble in his voice.

Dean's eyes slowly scan up and down his body, and Seth feels a different kind of heat suffusing his skin. "Hey, Seth," he says, eyes finally back on Seth's face. "You look good."

There's a flicker of pink as his tongue swipes over his bottom lip, and Seth's half-tempted to say fuck whatever plans Dean has in mind and drag him inside to his bedroom instead.

He doesn't, but it's a close thing.

"You do, too," Seth says, lets his eyes drag over Dean's body, making sure Dean knows Seth's definitely into him.

He's about to ask what the plans are for the night when Kevin darts out past his feet, tiny teeth latching onto the leg of Dean's jeans.

"Kevin, c'mon," Seth says, stern, but Kevin pays him no mind, shaking his little body as he tugs and tugs.

"Kevin?" Dean asks, chuckling.

Seth nods. "It's a badass name, and he's a tiny little thing. Didn't wanna give him some kind of complex giving him a dumb, cutesy name," he explains.

Dean holds his hands up, says, "I ain't judgin'."

He bends down and wraps his hands around Kevin's midsection, pulling him away from his pant leg and lifting him to his chest.

Seth watches with warm eyes as Dean scritches his fingers along Kevin's back, under his chin, Kevin all but melting against Dean's chest.

Lucky little fucker.

It takes a few minutes, but Dean sets Kevin back down just inside the doorway, wiping his hands on his thighs. "So," he says, "ready to go?"

Seth nods. "I just have to grab my keys and wallet, gimme a sec," he says, and darts inside, grabbing his things and shoving them into his pockets. Kevin whines at him from where he's now perched on the sofa, and Seth feels a pang in his chest at leaving the little guy, especially after being gone all morning and afternoon.

"Tomorrow," he says, rubs his hand over Kev's head, "we'll go to the park."

Dean's still waiting outside the door when Seth returns, double-checking the locks before he turns to Dean and says, "Alright, what's the plan?"

Dean's smile is softer, warmer, and he puts his hand to the small of Seth's back as he leads him to the driveway where his car is parked. "I'm not too familiar with this town," he says, "but I figured we could just grab a bite to eat and go for a walk or something?"

"That sounds good." Seth climbs into the passenger seat after Dean unlocks the car doors, immediately missing the warmth of Dean's hand on his body.

Dean slides behind the wheel while Seth's buckling his seatbelt, and when the car starts, the low sound of country fills the air. Seth does his best not to make a face, but country just isn't his thing.

"Not a fan?" Dean asks, and Seth smiles apologetically, shaking his head. Dean switches the station to something else, but the volume is too low now for Seth to really tell what's playing.

Dean reverses out of the driveway, and suddenly Seth is thrown back in his seat, the car shooting forward, and he's wondering all over again just what the hell he's gotten himself into. Dean has no apparent regard for speed limits or turn signals, and Seth isn't sure if they're going to make it in one piece to wherever it is they're going.

"Have you lived here long?" Dean asks, and his voice is so sudden it makes Seth jump a little.

"Uh, yeah," Seth says, white-knuckle gripping the belt strapped across his chest. "Born and raised here."

"Huh," Dean says, looks over his shoulder before changing lanes, "that's cool."

"What about you?" Seth asks, ignoring the voice in his head that chastises him for continuing to play dumb. "Where are you from?"

Dean's bottom lip is drawn between his teeth, but he releases it after a few seconds. "I was born in Ohio. Cincinnati. Kinda lived all over the place since then, but I guess Vegas is home now."

Seth didn't actually know Dean was living in Vegas now. That makes him feel a little better, not like such a creep. "Why Vegas?" he asks, curious.

Dean shrugs his shoulders. "I like it there."

Seth knows when to let a subject drop, so he doesn't push any further. He shifts his eyes out the car window, taking in their surroundings. They're in the heart of the city, driving past businesses and restaurants. "Where are we going?"

Dean throws him a smirk in response, but a few minutes later, the car is slowing and they're turning into the parking lot of one of Seth's favorite pizza places, and he can't help but smile.

"Good choice, I'm guessing," Dean says.

Seth nods, says, "Yeah, this place is one of my favorites."

Dean parks the car, rounding the front and opening Seth's door before he's even removed his seatbelt. His hand is on the small of Seth's back again, and Seth is finding he could quickly get used to it.

The pizza place is quiet when they enter, given it's the middle of the week, and there are plenty of open tables and booths to choose from. Dean leads them back to a corner booth, sliding into one side and motioning for Seth to sit across from him.

They've barely been seated a minute when a waitress pops by, quickly taking their drink order and leaving them with a couple of menus.

"What's good here?" Dean asks. He's looking at Seth over the top of his menu, and all Seth can see is the blue of his eyes, the gold of his lashes, the crinkle of skin at the corners of his eyes, and it's so surreal to him that he's sitting here, across from Dean Ambrose, and if the last couple of days have been some kind of dream, he never wants to wake up.

"Everything," Seth says. They've got pizza and pastas, salads and sandwiches, and the breadsticks are some of the best Seth has ever had, even if eating them means he needs to spend an extra fifteen minutes in the gym.

The waitress returns with their drinks: two Diet Cokes and two glasses of water, and Seth and Dean place their order, a medium supreme pizza that they plan on splitting, a salad for Seth, and a plate of chicken alfredo for Dean.

"How do you manage to eat all that and still look the way you do?" It's perplexing, really. Dean has such a small waist, and if he eats like this all the time, even with working out, Seth doesn't understand how he doesn't have some kind of belly.

"Well," Dean begins, "I work out, for one."

His eyes are twinkling, like he's barely restraining his amusement, and instead of being embarrassed by it, Seth's smitten with the glow in those blues.

"And I don't eat like this all the time," Dean finishes, chuckling softly. "I'd probably weigh like eight thousand pounds if I did, and that's not really conducive to my career, y'know?"

Seth hums softly. Now's probably the time when he should say something, but he can't make his brain form the words, throat clicking dryly. "I don't think weighing eight thousand pounds is conducive to anyone's career," he points out instead, willing away the tremor in his hand as he reaches for his glass of water.

"Fair point," Dean says, nodding his head. "You said you're a teacher?"

Seth nods, setting his water glass down. "Yeah. 10th grade English and creative writing."

Dean whistles. "I couldn't do it," he says, shaking his head. "I remember myself at that age, and the last thing I'd wanna do at this age is deal with a bunch of those little assholes."

"It's not that bad," Seth says, making a face. "I mean, sure, you've got the ones who try to make teachers' lives hell, or just don't give a shit, but for the most part, the kids in my classes are pretty good."

"That's lucky," Dean says. "Is teaching what you always wanted to do?"

Seth swallows roughly, shakes his head. "No," he says, voice barely above a whisper. "I just kind of fell into it after plan A didn't work out."

"What was plan A?" Dean asks. His eyes are laser-focused on Seth, and it's a little unnerving, having such a heavy focus on him.

"I uh—I wanted to be a wrestler," Seth says, drops his gaze to the table, drawing his fingers through the condensation on his water glass.

"What happened?"

Seth wants to look up at Dean, but he can't bring himself to, not yet. He doesn't want to see the look of pity on Dean's face, doesn't think he'd be able to stomach it, because while Dean's living the dream, his dream, Seth had to settle for being a teacher.

"I blew out my knee," he says, as detached as he can be. It's a story he's repeated a dozen times, but It still eats at him now, all these years later, and it's hard to hide the pain in his voice from having his dream ripped away. "ACL, MCL, and meniscus. Didn't heal right after the surgery, even with all the rehab and therapy."

"Shit, man, that sucks."

Seth laughs dryly. "Understatement of my life."

The waitress finally appears, setting their food down on the table between them, and Seth couldn't be more grateful for the interruption.

"Hey," Dean's voice cuts in, "look at me."

Seth steels his nerves, pulls his eyes away from the food and looks up at Dean.

There's no pity there, only concern, and it warms something in Seth's chest.

"I get it," Dean says softly. "I've known plenty of guys it's happened to, and it sucks. Any kind of injury sucks, but career-enders like that are devastating."

"Yeah." Seth pokes at his salad, sets his fork down with a sigh. "Now's probably a good time for me to tell you I already know who you are, huh?"

Dean's eyes are twinkling again, and it looks like he's fighting back a smile.

Seth's heart doesn't know what to do, alternating between that sick, slow thump against his ribs, and a rapid roaring in his ears.

And then Dean laughs. Throws his head back and laughs, and Seth has never heard something so beautiful.

"I know," Dean says, once he's calmed down. "I've been wrestling for years. I'd like to think I've gotten pretty good at realizing when someone's recognized me, even if they don't say anything."

"And you're not mad?" Seth asks, hardly believing this is actually happening.

"Nah." Dean shakes his head. "I actually like that you pretended not to know who I was. Made me feel a little more normal, y'know?"

Seth blows out a huge breath, feels every muscle in his body relax. "I thought you'd be pissed," he says, smiling slightly.

"No." Dean takes a bite out of a slice of pizza, moaning as he chews and swallows. Seth was wrong; Dean's laugh is beautiful, yes, but his moaning? Now that is the most beautiful thing he's ever heard. "I wouldn't have asked for your number if you would've reacted any other way, though," he adds.

"So you don't care that you're probably one of my favorite wrestlers ever?" Seth asks, throwing it out there. He needs to know what's what, and now that they're putting everything out in the open, there's no point in holding anything back.

"Shows you've got good taste," Dean says around a mouthful of food.

"No, c'mon," Seth says, "I'm serious. Like, I don't want it to be weird that I'm a fan, that I've followed your career for years."

Dean wipes his hand on a napkin, ice clinking against the sides of his glass as he lifts it to his lips and takes a drink, throat working as he swallows. He sets it back down on the table, lifting his eyes to meet Seth's, and says, "It's not weird, Seth. I think it's actually pretty awesome. Like, what are the odds of that? But, I mean, I dunno, I like that you're a fan of what I do."

Dean pauses and takes another drink of water, face scrunched like he's deep in thought. "You've gotta understand, though, that what you see on tv and shit ain't me, y'know? Like, the real me. I ain't that 'lunatic' or whatever they seem to like calling me, and I ain't easily ruffled. Takes a lot to piss me off, y'know? As long as you understand that, we're golden."

Seth shrinks a little in his seat. "No, I know," he says, poking around at his salad. "I didn't expect you to be like that." He shrugs a shoulder, sorting through the thoughts in his head. "If I'd believed that the you onscreen is the same as the you sitting here, I probably wouldn't have given you my number."

That's only a partial truth. He still would have given Dean his number—how often does something like that happen, honestly, like he'd have been an idiot to pass that up—but he's glad for the reassurance that who Dean is in and around the ring is completely separate from who he is outside of it.

It doesn't make Seth any less attracted to him. Truth be told, Dean's lunatic shtick isn't even all that attractive to him. It's more about Dean's journey to get to where he is now, scratching and clawing his way to the top of the biggest wrestling corporation in the world. All the hard work and tireless traveling and putting his body on the line, day in and day out—it's admirable and attractive, the drive and ambition it takes, and it helps that Dean's body is lean and fit, with eyes that flicker between blue and gray.

Dean smirks at him in response.

Seth feels infinitely lighter now, though he still has some worries that are nagging at him. He doesn't want to bring them up now, though, doesn't want to seem like a neurotic mess when this is only their first date, and he hasn't yet had a chance to see where this is going.

He starts eating in earnest, stomach grumbling at the scent of food that isn't in his stomach yet, trading questions back and forth with Dean. It's easy and relaxing, and that's the last thing Seth thought it would be. He's here, sitting in front of one of his favorite wrestlers ever, and they're on a date, and Seth isn't freaking out or making a complete fool of himself. It's going better than he ever could have hoped for.

Dean pays for dinner—tip included—and his hand is on the small of Seth's back again, leading him out the doors and into the cool night air. He keeps it there as they walk, past the parking lot and down the sidewalk, enjoying each other's company.

They walk and they talk, little things like favorite music and movies, favorite foods and drinks, and the time passes all too quickly for Seth's liking. They make a final loop around the block, ending back at the parking lot, and Dean opens Seth's door for him again, tips of his fingers trailing down the line of Seth's back.

It wracks his body with shivers, and he has to bite his lip to stifle any sound that's trying to leak out.

Judging by the look in Dean's eyes, he knows exactly what he's doing, what that little move caused.

The drive back to Seth's house is slower, calmer than the previous drive was, and the soft sounds of the radio playing create a comforting, cozy atmosphere that Seth doesn't want to leave.

All too soon, Dean is pulling into the driveway of Seth's house, shifting the car into park and shutting off the engine. Seth unbuckles his seatbelt, blowing out a slow breath as Dean comes around and opens the door, offering a hand that Seth readily takes.

Dean walks him up the path to the front door, and Seth's entire body starts shaking. Fuck, but he's coming off as anything but calm and collected right now, and Dean's probably laughing inside at him, almost thirty years old and acting like this is his first date.

Dean's face, though, when he turns to look at him, is anything but amused. He looks pleased, content, and it fills Seth with an unprecedented happiness.

"I had a really good time tonight," Dean says, brushing his thumb over the ridges of Seth's knuckles. His eyes are flickering between Seth's eyes and lips, and it makes Seth swallow roughly, something sweet and hot bubbling low in his stomach.

"I did, too," Seth says, sways in closer, feels the warmth of Dean's breath wash over his face.

Dean swoops in and kisses him, sweet and chaste, barely long enough for Seth to reciprocate, but it makes heat flood through him anyway, eyes slowly fluttering as Dean takes a step back, a soft smile dancing across his lips.

"I'll call you later," Dean says, "so we can do this again."

"I'd like that." Seth watches Dean's retreating figure, a little disappointed that he didn't ask to come in, but it's already getting late, and Seth has to work tomorrow. He appreciates that Dean didn't try to push for anything, but he wouldn't have said no if he had.

Seth unlocks the door and heads inside, leaning back against it when he closes it behind him. There's a ridiculous smile on his face that he knows isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and as he thinks back on Dean's last text from earlier today, the one where he promised that Seth was going to love what he had in mind for the night, Seth realizes he was right.

Sure, it may not have been anything fancy or over the top, but a night with Dean at one of his favorite places? He'd take that over anything else any day.

Seth's phone buzzes in his pocket, and he pulls it out, smiling wider at the text on his screen.

[10:17] I cant wait to see u again

Butterflies attack Seth's stomach.

{10:18} I can't wait, either.