Chapter 4

" You think he's missing his little boyfriend?"

" Yeah he's definitely missing his little boyfriend."

" His little boyfriend won't come over anymore since Roman was mean to him."

" Awww. At least Roman still has Colby."

" That isn't the pussy that Roman wants."

" You guys are assholes." Roman said as he closed his locker door.

Dolph and Kofi Kingston bursted out laughing.

" Aww come on dude, you've been sulking practically the whole week since you found Dean with that girl." Dolph said folding his towel.

" I have not been sulking." He huffed.

" Ooo, someone hit a nerve." Dolph smiled and made his way over to him.

He sat on the bench next to Roman's gym bag. " Why don't you go over there and try again?"

" Because just this morning some blonde left his place wearing a dress that ended right under her ass. I think it's safe to say that he's not into men." Roman nearly threw his water bottle carelessly into his bag.

" Okay let's say that it's true and Dean's straight. Does that mean that you don't even want to be friends with him because you can't fuck him?"

Roman paused in the midst of folding his towel. Dolph did have a point. Even though he did think that Dean was attractive, and the chance of them hooking up was practically non exisistant. He wouldn't mind having Dean as a friend.

" I guess you do have a point." Roman finished folding the towel and packed it away in his bag. " So what do I do?"

" You do what I've been telling you to do since last week. Go home, take a shower, throw on some cologne or whatever and go over to his place and ask him out for a drink so that you guys can talk it out man to man." Dolph stood up and patted Roman on the shoulder. " I mean you don't have anything to lose anyway."

Dolph was right. He didn't have anything to lose. He carefully smoothed a stray hair behind his ear as he looked himself over in the mirror. Black V-neck t-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers with a dash of cologne. He didn't know why he listened to Dolph sometimes.

" Wish me luck Colby." He called to the cat as he walked the door. The cat kept its head straight seemingly ignoring Roman. He smiled to himself. That cat could be so moody.

Roman took a deep breath outside of Dean's apartment door as he raised his fist to knock on the door. He could do this, he told himself. He gave Dean's door three hard taps and waited.

It seemed as if it took forever as he heard the locks being undone on Dean's side of the door. He tapped his right foot nervously against the hardwood floor as he waited.

Dean peeped out at him through the barely cracked open door. No greeting. Just a raised eyebrow.

" Hi." Roman started. " Look I shouldn't have gone off on you like I did a few weeks ago. I was in a messed up place and took it out on you." No response. " I was wondering if we can go for a drink and just talk?"

Dean studied his face for a few seconds. He was clearly thinking the offer over. Finally he shrugged his shoulders as if he had given up. " Fine. Lemme grab my coat." Dean closed the door in Roman's face.

Well at least it was a good start. Roman went back to his apartment to get his own coat. Colby was in the living room. " Stepping out for a bit Colbs. Now don't tear up the house while I'm gone, okay?"

Colby just watched him as he slipped on his brown leather jacket. The nights were starting to feel a bit chilly.

" Are you ready?" Dean was already standing at his door wearing a lightweight hoody.

" Um yeah." Roman looked around for his keys on the side table spotting them almost hidden by a glass ornament. He grabbed the keys and shoved them in his front jeans pocket. " Let's go."

" Do you have a place in mind?" Roman asked as he locked the door.

" Uh, The Leopard down the block is pretty good."

Roman knew of the quiet little bar that Dean spoke of. " Yeah that sounds good."

They set off down the street. The sun was setting and people were making their way home from work. They didn't really say anything to each other mainly because the tension between them felt awkward as hell and Roman didn't want to make it any worse.

They crossed a busy intersection and then they were at The Leopard. Roman was walking towards the door when something told him to look behind him. When he turned around, he gasped. Looking quite innocently up at him was his cat.

" Colby!" Roman darted forward and scooped up the cat. " How did you get out? Why did you follow me? Oh my god, I can't believe that you crossed that intersection by yourself. You could've been killed. Don't you ever do that again. Do you hear me?" The cat just purred and rubbed it's head against Roman's neck.

Roman turned and looked and Dean apologetically. " Dean, can you go in without me? I have to take Colby back home."

He had to play second fiddle to the cat again. It was hardly surprising at this point. " Sure."

" I'll be right back as soon as possible," Roman said as he continued to stroke Colby's head.

Dean just watched Roman cross the busy intersection before he went inside.

The Leopard was never fully of traffic which was what Dean liked about it. He choose a booth near the back and ordered a beer. It was a ten minute walk to get to the place. Roman would probably be back in half an hour Dean thought as he sipped his beer and watch the football game on the televeision hung up behind him.

Dean was on to his second beer by the time that Roman reappeared.

" Sorry about that," he said sliding into the booth opposite Dean. " Colby wanted to play when we got home but I couldn't."

Dean just took another sip of his beer, unflinching as if he was just waiting for Roman to get to the purpose of this outing.

Roman sighed softly. " Dean look, I'm truly sorry for what I said to you. I was angry at a client and instead of dealing with it I let it fester and unleashed it all on you and I was wrong for that."

A waitress popped up as if on cue and placed a beer in front of Roman and left as discreetly as she came. He figured that Dean had ordered for him.

" You said that I just waltz in uninvited." Dean accused him.

Roman looked at him sheepishly. " Yeah sorry. Of course you can come over whenever you want," he paused. " Well with in reason."

" You asked me if I didn't have any other friends." Dean's blue eyes narrowed at him.

" I have no excuse. That was completely an asshole thing to say." Roman finally took a sip of his beer.

" You even said that Colby doesn't like me." Dean sounded completely hurt about this.

Roman slowly placed the bottle down on the table. " Well ..."

" Oh god, seriously? He doesn't like me?" Dean shook his head. " Why?"

" I don't know." Roman shrugged. " Maybe he just isn't accustomed to you as yet."

Dean tilted his head slightly and blinked slowly at Roman.

The older man laughed nervously. " Maybe it's because you took up his remote."

" Really? Dude, your cat can hold a serious grudge." Dean drained the remainder of his beer.

He stood up and eyed Roman impatiently. " Come on. I wanna go to the park."

Roman was confused. " But isn't the park closed by now?"

Dean sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes. " I bet you pay all of your taxes too." He started to walk away.

Roman quickly dug a twenty out of his pocket and dropped it on the table and then walked quickly to catch up with Dean.

" I can't believe that I'm doing this," Roman said as he squeezed through the sizeable hole in the fence. Dean was already standing, waiting for him on the other side.

" Jesus dude, chill." He watched as Roman stood up and dusted off his clothes. " It's just a park not the Pentagon."

Dean started to walk down a dirt trodden path and Roman called out to him. " Hey wait up. Out here is nearly pitch black. I can hardly see in front of me."

" God, you're such a whiner." Dean waited until Roman caught up with him and grabbed his hand. " Just so you won't get lost."

Roman didn't mind Dean holding his hand at all. Dean's palm fitting perfectly against his own.

They held hands until they reached a park bench. Dean hopped over the back of it and plopped down in the seat while Roman sat like a normal person.

There was nothing in front of them but an open field and the night sky. Roman glanced over at Dean who had his arms spread across the top of the bench as if he owned it.

" You know, I don't really know anything about you." Roman finally said after sitting in silence for a while.

Dean raised an eyebrow. " What do you want to know?"

Roman slid a bit closer to Dean on the bench but didn't touch him. " Everything."

Dean furrowed his eyebrows. " What are you? The FBI?"

Roman crossed his arms over his chest. A wry grin playing on his lips. " Just start talking."

Dean gave him one of those long looks that made him feel something that he knew better than to feel.

He watched as Dean's tongue lightly licked his bottom lip before he started to speak. Roman involuntary bit the inside of his own lip. Damn it. It was just something about this man.

" Well I'm twenty-eight years old," Dean started. " From Cincinnati. Single with no kids." Dean flipped his hand. " Well that I know about."

He stopped speaking and stared out into the night.

" Um that's it?"

Dean shrugged nonchalantly and stretched out his legs. " What else is there to know?"

" Oh come on." Roman knocked his knee playfully against Dean's. " Like what do you do? What are your hobbies."

Dean waved him off.

" Oh no you don't get to ignore me." Roman touselled Dean's hair. " If you insist on coming over and eating my food and upsetting my cat, I deserve to know at least what you do."

" All right, all right." Dean swatted Roman's hand out of his hair.

Roman laughed at the shaggy hair obscuring most of Dean's eyes. Dean was about to say something sharp but the way how totally relaxed Roman looked when he laughed, stopped him in his tracks. He needed to stop finding this man so damn attractive. He probably wasn't even into guys, and if by luck he was, Dean probably wouldn't be his type anyway.

Dean used his right hand to push the hair off his forehead. " I'm into stuff." He finally said.

" Really?" Roman gave him a disbelieving look. " You don't say?" The sarcasm dripping heavy. " What kind of stuff?"

Dean gave a slight shrug. " You know, stuff."

" You're terrible at communicating." Roman dead panned.

" Look all I can tell you is, I'm a guy who knows a couple of guys who can get you anything you want." Dean's right foot started to tap nervously against the pavement.

Roman's voice lost all of its merriment. " Like drugs?"

Dean shot him a look. " No."

Roman noticed how uncomfortable Dean was becoming with the conversation but he needed to be sure for his own safety as well. " Are you telling me the truth Dean? I won't judge you."

Dean locked his blue eyes firmly onto Roman's greys. " I am telling you the truth. I don't sell drugs."

He sounded sincere enough to Roman. He honestly didn't know Dean well enough to know if he was lying or not. " Okay fine. I'm not going to bring it up again."

" Thank you." Dean gave Roman a quick once over. " You know, you aren't so bad when you get out of the house. Less up tight."

Roman chuckled good naturedly. " I'm not up tight."

" Yeah, whatever." Dean suddenly stood up. " Let's go home. I'm freezing."

Dean, ironically nearly frozed to the spot when Roman's hand firmly embraced his left bicep and his deep voice was right by his ear. " You would be freezing in this thin ass jacket."

Okay, that was a mistake. Roman made a small play to see if Dean was interested in him and immediately the man tensed up as soon as he touched him. Dean clearly did not play for his team.

" Yeah, I, uh didn't realize how cold it would be." Dean definitely appeared uncomfortable and Roman released his grip. At least I didn't try to kiss him, Roman reasoned. That would've been a huge mistake.

They made their way back to the hole in the fence and got through without incident. They held a light conversation on the way home, both men thankful for the fresh start although neither knew where it was going.

As they walked up the path to the apartment building side by side, their fingers kept on brushing against each other. Both of them guilty of doing it on purpose but secretly hoping that the other didn't notice.

Finally as they opened the door, Dean half hooked his middle finger around Roman's and the brushing stopped. Dean dared not look up at Roman and kept his head down. He felt as if he was in high school again not knowing how to act around his crush.

Roman noticed of course Dean's finger, half curled around his. Maybe the brushing of fingers annoyed him he thought.

They took the stairs together with Roman leading, fingers still hooked, and both of them trying to ignore it.

However, when they reached the top of the stairs, Dean unhooked his finger. It was getting too weird.

They heard a commotion coming from the end of the hallway and as they walked Roman realized that it was his neighbour Skip Sheffield banging on his door.

" Come on! Shut up in there." Skip yelled at the door.

Roman rushed forward. " What's going on?"

" Your damn cat has been yowling for blue murder for the past three hours. The fuck didn't you leave some food for it to shut it up?" Skip accused Roman.

Skip was a rather large man as he was a competitive bodybuilder but he didn't intimidate Roman.

He got close up to Skip's face. He could hear Colby yowling loudly in the background. His heart was beating quickly wondering what had happened to him. Colby had never behaved like this before. " I did leave him food and water. Maybe all of your yelling is upsetting him more."

Skip snorted and then stood back from Roman. " You know what? At least you're home. Shut up your damn cat." He gave Roman one final glance and walked away.

Dean was standing to a side watching the scene unfold. Roman fished the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. He had barely gotten the door opened, when Colby launched himself at him. Jumping as high as Roman's thigh.

Roman picked him up and Colby clunged to his shoulders, meowing in a softer and a more greatful tone.

" What's the matter Colby?" Roman asked as he walked into his home. " What's the matter boy?"

The cat just purred and rolled over in Roman's arms, nuzzling his neck with his head.

Nothing in the house looked disturbed.

" Oh you just miss me boy? Is that it?"

The cat meowed and playfully butted its head against Roman's chin.

Roman laughed. " I missed you too. I didn't mean to upset you."

Roman sat on the couch and started to tickle Colby's tummy. The cat stretched out its body purring in delight. " Who's daddy's favourite kitty? You are." He teased. Colby meowed and rolled over as Roman gave him a good petting.

Dean stood up in Roman's hallway and watched them from a distance. It wasn't lost on him that Roman had completely forgotten about him and his entire existance as soon as he saw Colby.

A/N: Thank you guys so, so much for your support. Words are really inadequate. So Dean, Roman and Colby. Your thoughts on them?