For the next week there are bunch of new arrivals, and Seth spends more time in the showroom after closing time. He's determined to know about the new items as well as everybody else, if not better. Sometimes Roman comes to help him with the codes, since their coding system is rather complicated. His company has become something Seth is looking forward to, although he won't admit it to anyone. Sometimes Roman tells him about his family in Pensacola. He lives alone and the closest person he has in Jacksonville is Dean.
"I've seen them twice this year," Roman says as they're checking the fabric samples for a certain model of lounge chair. "It was only a few months ago we finished expanding the showroom. It's now the second biggest after Orlando. So yeah, we've been very busy."
"Are they okay with you working so much?" Seth asks, peering at a blue fabric. From his peripheral vision, he sees Roman lightly shrug his shoulders.
"I can ask the same thing about you," Roman says, his tone soft but curious at the same time. "Your family okay with you working this far?"
Seth turns his head to find Roman watching him. He blinks and lowers his gaze for a moment. "I don't—really have a family." At least not in a human sense. Amor and his fellow Amoretti are the closest ones to family to him.
"I'm sorry," he hears Roman say, sounding genuinely apologetic.
Shaking his head, Seth looks back up and meets his eyes. "It's okay, I'm used to it."
For a moment, it seems like Roman is debating with himself if he should ask more questions about the subject, but then he decides against it. Instead he turns his attention back to the fabric catalogue in his hand. "Do you have friends here?"
"Yeah," Seth replies. "Peyton, Billie, Xavier, and Kofi. We hang out after work sometimes."
"I mean anyone outside work," Roman elaborates, with a smile.
Seth returns the sample to the shelf. "No." That makes Roman look back at him.
"I don't know many outside work either," he says. "Only Dean and probably two more people. That must mean we work too much?" A grin crosses his face, making Seth smile.
"It's not a bad thing." Seth supposes a little change of view will be nice. But he doesn't have a problem spending most of his time here.
Roman is quiet for a second, seemingly considering something. "Have they taken you to Jacksonville Beach?"
"No."
"I haven't been there for a while," Roman says. "Come with me on Sunday. The weather should be good."
Seth looks at him. Is it a good idea to go to the beach with him alone? From what he's seen, beaches are considered romantic for humans. How many proposals has he witnessed on a beach? But before he thinks it through, a word slips out of his lips, "Okay."
Roman's response is smile that makes Seth's stomach flutter. This isn't a good idea at all. But it's too late to back away, and maybe it's his chance to subtly persuade Roman to go out with Dean. Yeah, he will do just that and nothing else.
At least the beach is nice. Seth likes how the blue water reflects the sunlight, looking exquisite. Roman told him that the weather today is a little cold for Florida's standard, so there aren't many swimmers. They walk along the coastline, and Seth can see the long fishing pier in the distance.
"How did you and Dean meet?" Seth asks when they sit down on the sand after walking for a while.
"I was on the way home one night," Roman tells him. "It was pouring down and I really needed some caffeine to keep going. The diner was closed, but Dean let me in and made me coffee."
Seth moves his hand to his side, feeling the smooth sand under his skin. "That was very kind of him."
He sees Roman smile, a fond look on his face. "He's a great person."
Something is creeping in Seth chest, something unpleasant that he hasn't felt before. Roman seems to like Dean a lot. It's a good thing for him, he should be glad. But why does he feel the opposite? Dean sounds like a nice guy and he'll be good for Roman. So what is the problem?
Seth has to bring them together. It's his job—his punishment. Until he does it, he'll continue to be trapped here in this mortal body. But… is it the right word? Seth doesn't feel like he's trapped. He starts to really like his job as a consultant; he loves helping people choose the right furniture, it makes him feel good. And he likes his colleagues. The other day Peyton finally smiled back at Tye when he smiled at her.
But he wants to go back.
Or does he?
"Are you hungry yet?" Roman's question shakes him off his reverie. He turns to find Roman looking at him. "There's a good seafood restaurant about ten minutes away. But if you don't like seafood we can find something else."
"No, seafood's fine," Seth says. He hasn't had much seafood, but the ones he got were nice.
Roman rises to his feet and offers Seth a hand. "Then let's get going." Seth takes his big hand, feeling his heartbeat speed up when it gives his own hand a little squeeze.
The food is as good as Roman said. Seth ordered fried calamari—or what he would call squid—and fried potatoes, while Roman opted for grilled local snapper. The calamari is better than anything Seth has ever had as a human. It literally melts in his mouth. Compared to the frozen meals he's been living off, it's like heaven and earth. If Roman wasn't watching him, he would've licked his fingers clean.
"I told you the food's good," Roman says in a slightly teasing tone. "What's funny is I found this place by accident a few years ago. I was starving and this was the first restaurant I saw." He takes a sip of his cold lemon tea.
"I'm glad you did," Seth says. Roman's gaze lingers on him for a moment before he looks back at his food.
When they're done eating, the sun is just about to set. Roman suggests them to stand by the pier to watch the sunset.
Seth has seen countless of sunsets in his long existence, but there's something different about it this time. As he glances at Roman, he feels his pulse quicken. The way the last ray of sunlight illuminates Roman's face is beautiful beyond words. Surely no human should be allowed to possess such a beauty…?
Then Roman turns to him, seemingly about to say something. But as his eyes meet Seth's the words never leave his lips.
Their eyes locked for Seth doesn't know how long. But the sun must have set, because the sky is getting dark. Forcing himself to look away, Seth draws in a deep breath. "It's getting late," he hears himself say. "We should go home."
He sees Roman avert his gaze to the sea in front of them, putting his hands inside his jeans pockets. "Yeah."
"Thank you for taking me here," Seth says again. "I really had a good time."
Roman turns back to look at him. "We should do it again sometime," he says, with a smile that does nothing to calm Seth's heartbeat down.
No. Seth knows they shouldn't do this again. But somehow he finds himself nod.
"Sure."
Their routines haven't changed in the next few days. They stay in the showroom after everyone else has gone home, and Roman is still helping Seth with the new furniture. They keep their friendly distance, but Roman almost always keeps his eyes on him, touching him longer than he should. Deep down Seth knows they're heading towards something dangerous, and it's bound to happen sooner than later.
But he can't bring himself to stop it.
One night Seth is about to open his locker when suddenly everything goes dark. He stands still, doesn't know what he's supposed to do. What do humans do in this situation? The darkness is cold and unpleasant; it's as if he's being swallowed by it. He doesn't know how long he's been standing there. It could be mere minutes or hours, who knows. Then he hears a familiar voice that makes his heartbeat pick up pace, and at the same time oddly calms him down.
"Seth? Where are you?" Roman calls out again.
"Here by the lockers," Seth replies.
A moment later he sees a light and then Roman is in front of him. The light comes from his phone. "There's a power outage," Roman says. "I've called the power company. It can take ten to thirty minutes to repair the generator." He gives a reassuring smile, holding his phone up. "My phone's battery is almost flat, let's just wait in my office."
Seth nods and follows Roman to his office on the other side of the corridor. Roman places his phone on the table, but only a few seconds later the light goes off and the room is pitch-black.
"At least we're here," he hears Roman say with a sigh. "Where are you?"
"I'm here—ow," Seth lets out a gasp when his hip bumps up against Roman's desk.
"What's wrong?"
Seth wishes he didn't notice how good Roman's voice sounds in the darkness. It's as if because he can't use his sight, his other senses work in overdrive. "I—hit your desk. But it's fine."
He can hear Roman move, and his breath is caught in his throat when he feels Roman's solid body in front of him. He's way too close. Seth tries to back away, but the desk is behind him and he can't go anywhere. His heart is pounding wildly, he's sure even Roman can hear it. No, he has to do something. Lifting a hand, Seth places it on Roman's chest in an attempt to keep a distance between them. But as soon as his fingers touch the sculpted chest, all the rational thoughts dissolve from his mind.
Another gasp leaves Seth's lips when he feels Roman's hand on his back, trailing down… and down. Their faces are so close, the scent of Roman's aftershave invades his nose, sending a warm tingle to his skin. Seth's head is spinning. Is this how infatuation feels like? It's intense and overpowering; no wonder humans can't resist it.
Their noses brush, just… barely, making the time stop. Seth's breathing goes quicker, and a moan threatens to escape his throat. Roman's hand moves to the small of his back, pulling Seth against him. This is wrong. He isn't supposed to feel this way about Roman, and Roman definitely shouldn't feel this way about him. It's as if all cautions are off in the dark. The sound of blood rushes in Seth's ears when their lower bodies are pressed together. By Jupiter.
The bright light that suddenly fills the room comes as a harsh surprise—or a reminder. Seth opens his eyes, blinking a few times. Roman's face is still close as he's watching Seth with hazy eyes. Taking a deep breath to regain his composure, Seth peels his hand from Roman's chest and steps away. His heart is still hammering against his chest.
"I think—I think I should go home," he stammers. But Amoretti don't stammer… What is happening to him? Without waiting for Roman to respond, Seth turns around and walks out of the room. He keeps walking until he reaches the door at the end of the corridor.
But even then his heartbeat hasn't slowed down.
After that night, Seth never stays past closing time. And he tries not to be alone with Roman unless he absolutely has to. He still catches Roman looking at him more often than not, but Seth will look away as soon as their eyes meet. This is really bad. He knows avoiding Roman doesn't resolve the problem. He's seen humans do it many many times before, and the results are always disastrous. So why is he doing the same thing now? Perhaps because it's easier than dealing with Roman… and his own feelings. Both are out of his control, and Seth doesn't know which one frightens him more. He should forget about it and focus on the assignment. But how can he do it when he's avoiding Roman?
By Jupiter. Seth never thought it would be this difficult to be a mortal. He has to deal with complicated emotions that sometimes even he doesn't understand. Everything is so much simpler for Amoretti. He begins to wonder if this is the real punishment Venus inflicted on him, not living as a human.
There is a party tonight, celebrating the company's 50th years anniversary. Unfortunately, all the employees have to go, much to Seth's hesitation. But he supposes if he stays close to his friends, he won't have to worry about being alone with Roman. And nothing will happen.
The girls helped him choose a suit the other day, which consists of a dark blue jacket and matching dress pants, as well as a white shirt and a stripy blue tie. He knows he looks good, when quite a few heads turn around to get a closer look as he walks past. The restaurant is rather far from his apartment, so Peyton kindly picked him up and they met up with the others there.
She looks beautiful in her coral dress and her hair down. Billie is also looking good, wearing an aquamarine dress that matches her shoes.
"Girl, we'll get ourselves a man tonight," Peyton exclaims as they enter the restaurant, flipping her hair.
Billie lets out a soft sigh. "By 'we' don't you mean you? And by 'a man' don't you mean Tye?" she replies, making Seth chuckle.
"Well, why can't it be both? You look fantastic; you can get any man you want." Peyton good-naturedly rolls her eyes.
"I'll know if a man is worthy of me, when I see one," Billie counters, with a wink. Peyton sighs and mumbles something about getting a drink. After she leaves to the bar, Billie turns to Seth. "You look great, love. Roman won't be able to take his eyes off you." Before Seth can reply, he catches sight of Roman across the room—staring at him. Next to him Billie laughs. "I hate to say 'I told you so', but I told you so."
When Roman starts walking towards them, Seth instinctively makes a move to leave. But Billie grabs his arm, looking at him with amusement on her face. "Where do you think you're going?"
"We—need to find Kofi and Xavier," Seth uses the first excuse he can think of. "They'll wonder where we've been." But it's not a good one, and he knows Billie doesn't buy it.
"They'll still be here," she says, and then a moment later, "hi Roman. Looking good, as usual."
Roman gives her a smile. "Likewise, Billie. Nice dress."
She beams. "Thanks. Seth looks great, too, don't you think?" Seth doesn't miss her wicked smile, but Roman's eyes are solely fixed on him.
"He sure does," Roman says softly, looking at Seth as if he is the only person in the room. Seth's heartbeat begins to act up, like it normally does when Roman is close. He tries not to think about what happened in the dark that time, but his traitorous mind refuses to cooperate.
"I'm gonna check on Peyton," Billie says in a sugary voice, ignoring Seth's wordless plea. "I'll see you guys later." Then she disappears before Seth can say anything.
Who says friends can't stab you in the back? Seth tries his best not to stare at Roman, but it's a hard thing to do. Roman looks impeccable in his black suit, emitting confidence as always.
"Still avoiding me?" Roman asks in a gentle tone that only Seth can hear. But his gaze is intense as it never leaves Seth's face. "Don't you think we should talk about it?"
Seth knows exactly what he means by 'it'. "I don't want to make it more complicated," he says, a bit surprised with how truthful he sounded.
Roman's gaze softens. "It's never complicated for me," he says.
The entire room seems to cease to exist, as if there are only Roman and him. It's the worst possible timing for Seth to realize what he's been feeling all this time. He's in love with Roman. And from the way Roman is looking at him, the feeling isn't one sided.
Seth has failed to do what he's supposed to do. The realization feels heavy in his chest, leaving a sinking feeling. Has he truly become… human? He doesn't remember how it feels to be an Amoretto anymore. How can he find a way out of this?
"Sorry, I need to—" Seth never finishes his sentence. He turns around and makes his way towards a door, without knowing where the door leads to. Nor does he care. He needs to get away from Roman, from his own overwhelming feeling about him.
The door leads to a corridor, and at the end of the corridor there is a bathroom sign. Absently, Seth pushes the men's bathroom door open and slips inside. It's empty, thankfully. He walks towards the sink, looking at himself in the mirror. "What am I supposed to do now?" he murmurs at his perplexed face.
"Seth?" A voice makes Seth turn hastily around. He lets out breath of relief when he sees who it is.
"I messed up," Seth admits sadly, knowing his fellow Amoretto will understand. "I can't do my job."
Antonio's eyes are wistful. "I can help you," he says.
Seth looks at him, his eyes widen. Has he heard him wrong? Did Antonio just offer to use his powers to help him? "But—if Venus found out you'd be in trouble."
"Perhaps. But she didn't exactly state we weren't allowed to help, did she?" Antonio says, pausing for a moment. "If you want, Amor will erase Roman's memories of you. Then I can make him and Dean fall for each other."
Seth racks his brain for something to say, but he can't find any. They would defy Venus' order for him?
"But that's not what I'm most concerned about," Antonio says again. "Do you really want this, Seth? Do you want to go home?"
If he asked him a month ago, Seth would say 'yes' in a heartbeat. Of course he wanted to go home. But now the words can't even leave his mouth. Just the thought of Roman forgetting about him and falling for someone else makes his heart clench. Can he… really do that? But at the same time, this might be his only chance of going home.
"I don't—" Seth starts before stopping, taking a deep breath. "Antonio, I don't know… I don't want to get you into trouble."
Antonio gives him a small smile. "Don't worry about me," he says. "Just think about it. When you've made up your mind, I'll know."
Seth looks at him for a long time, until finally he nods. "Thank you."
He manages to avoid Roman for the rest of the evening by sticking with Xavier and Kofi. Though he gets a feeling that Roman doesn't try hard enough to talk to him again. It seems too easy. The positive thing about the night is that Tye asks Peyton to dance and she accepts it. Despite doesn't feel like smiling, Seth smiles at the sight of his friend as she dances, her hair moving beautifully and her face radiant.
When the party's over, his friends want to go to the club. Billie says the night is still young, and it's Friday. They ask Seth if he wants to come with them, but Seth politely declines. He has an important decision to make, and a club with extremely loud music is not a place he wants to be. But Peyton feels bad for leaving Seth when he came here with her. Seth tells her it's fine, he'll just get a taxi. But Billie says she has a better idea and leaves before any of them can say anything.
Seth follows her with his gaze until she disappears among the sea of people. Surely she can't think about—his thought comes to a halt as Billie comes back with a person he doesn't wish to see.
"Roman's going home, too," she says, can't quite conceal the naughty gleam in her eyes as she looks at Seth. "He'll give you a ride."
It must be something to be stabbed in the back by the same person twice in one night. Although Seth knows that Billie means well. He averts his eyes from her to Roman. Maybe this will be their last time together… if he decides to accept Antonio's offer.
"Is it really okay?" he asks, still feeling a bit reluctant.
"Yeah," Roman replies, his grey eyes fixed on him.
It's the third time Roman drives him in his car. Seth likes the black car; it's big and comfortable, but not too fancy. It suits Roman perfectly. The trip to Seth's place has been surprisingly quiet. Roman keeps his gaze on the road the entire time. His face is obscured, just slightly illuminated by the faint light from the roadsides. Seth keeps glancing at him every now and then, waiting for him to say something. But he never does.
A million thoughts are running through Seth's mind. He would be the biggest fool in the world if he didn't accept Antonio's help, wouldn't he? Realistically, it's the only chance he has to go back home. But that place and his old life feel so far away now. He wants to make sure things are working out between Peyton and Tye. Also he'd surely miss Billie, Xavier, and Kofi if he left. And Roman.
No, Seth, what are you thinking, the voice inside his head chastises him. He can't consider spending the rest of his life as a mortal. He shouldn't.
Before Seth realizes, Roman has entered his apartment's parking lot behind the building and stopped the car. After he's turned off the engine there's a complete silence, only broken by a distant rumble of a passing car once in a while.
Absently, Seth unbuckles his seatbelt. He supposes he should just thank Roman and goes inside, but he can't bring himself to move. Roman is watching him, with a look in his eyes that doesn't make it any easier for Seth to leave.
"Are you running away from something?"
The question takes Seth by surprise. He blinks in confusion. But before he opens his mouth, Roman asks again, "Did someone hurt you in the past?"
"No. Why—did you think so?" Seth finally responds.
Roman gives him a wistful smile. "You seem afraid to start something new," he says softly. "Seth, I'm not gonna rush you into anything. If you need more time, just tell me."
But more time won't do him any good… Seth looks at him, taking in the sincerity in his eyes. No, don't make it more difficult. He has to leave. If he stayed for a second longer he might do something recklessly stupid, such as touching Roman's face and—kissing him.
Jupiter forbid.
But once again, Seth's foolish human heart has a mind of its own. He feels his body move towards Roman, as if being pulled by some unseen strings. When Roman's lips meet his, the fluttery feeling in his stomach hits him with full force, making his head spin.
Seth doesn't remember how they get into his apartment. But they're inside, lips still connected, only briefly apart when Seth pushes Roman's suit jacket off his broad shoulders, followed by the shirt. He can't think. His head is clouded with an overwhelming desire to feel Roman's warm skin on his. It feels like ages before they're finally free from their restricting clothes. Seth's falls on the sofa; the fabric feels a little rough under his naked back. A gasp escapes him when Roman kisses his jawline and reaches down between their bodies.
Roman trails his tongue over the shell of his ear, making Seth's breathing grow faster. He knows all about sex, and why humans crave it since the beginning of time. But he doesn't expect it to be like this. Everytime Roman does something with his mouth, it causes Seth pleasure and pain. Both are equally unbearable.
"Don't you think we should move to the bedroom?" Roman's voice is rough as he murmurs in his ear.
"But then you'd have to stop touching me," Seth says in a raspy voice that sounds foreign, running his hand down Roman's back.
He feels Roman smile against his ear. "Good point."
Roman's lips are back on his, his tongue gently caresses Seth's while his mouth swallows the moan. Then ignoring Seth's protest, Roman kisses down his body, all the way down to his thigh. Oh. Seth buries his fingers in Roman's silky locks, biting his lip when Roman wet mouth finds his arousal. The pleasure is so intense that it almost scares him. But he can't do anything to stop it.
Nor does he want it to stop.
"Roman…" Seth breathes, trying to pull him up. "Kiss me."
Roman crawls back up on top of him and claims his lips. "You're so beautiful," he whispers between the kisses. Seth responds by pulling his head back down and kissing him again, and again. Roman's hand keeps moving, gently squeezing, until the white hot rush overtakes Seth's body and pushes him past the point of no return.
It's a bit ridiculous to own a coffee maker and doesn't know how to operate it. But Seth never has the need to use it until now, since he doesn't really like coffee. But he knows Roman can't start his day without caffeine, and that's why he's determined to get the machine to work.
Okay, like the one in the office pantry, the ground coffee must go in the brew basket inside the filter. And then he fills the water container with water and presses the button. That should do it. As the smell of fresh brewed coffee fills the kitchen a moment later, Seth lets out a relieved breath.
Roman is still sleeping in his room. Somehow they made it into the bedroom last night, although they didn't fall asleep until much later. Seth can still feel the lingering effect on his body. But… he'd do it again in a heartbeat. His lips curve into a smile. Is this how love feels like?
"Antonio," he says softly, knowing his friend will hear him. "I'm not going back." He pauses for a moment. "Thank you for wanting to help me. But I can't leave Roman." A wave of melancholy suddenly creeps over him. He just let go of the only opportunity to go home. There won't be another chance. Is this really what he wants?
"Good morning."
Someone kisses the side of his neck from behind, almost making him jump. Roman gives him a half-sleepy smile. "You smell good," he murmurs against Seth's skin. "Better than the coffee."
Seth watches as he pours himself a cup. "You still don't like black coffee?" Roman asks, sipping his coffee. He smiles when Seth shakes his head.
It's so easy to stop thinking when he sees Roman move around his kitchen like this, without a shirt, doesn't look out of place—not even a bit. A surge of warmth floods his chest, replacing the melancholy. Yes, this is what he wants.
This is home.
When Seth opens the freezer door to find some frozen raspberries for a smoothie (Peyton taught him to make one), a package of frozen meal jumps out, startling both of them. It would fall on the floor if Roman didn't reflexively catch it.
"Do you really eat this? The mashed potatoes taste like cardboard," Roman says, his nose crinkles in distaste.
Seth takes the package from his hand and shoves it back into the freezer. "I don't have many choices." To be honest, he's getting tired of the frozen meals, but what else can he do?
When he's closed the freezer door, he sees Roman watching him. "I can teach you how to cook," Roman says in a gentle tone, lifting his hand to stroke Seth's cheek. "We can start today, starting with some grocery shopping. You'll need veggies and spices. And meats."
"You'll do that for me?" Seth asks.
Roman leans forward to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Of course I will." Then he turns around to open the fridge. "Well, you didn't joke when you said you like sour apples," he says, a mild amusement on his face.
"Do you think I'm weird?" the words slip out of his mouth before he can stop them. Roman called him peculiar before, and peculiar means weird. Right?
Closing the fridge door, Roman takes his hand and gently pulls Seth towards him. "You're peculiar," he says, with a fond look in his eyes that makes Seth heart beat faster. "And I wouldn't change a thing about you."