Ten
"They don't call me the Show Off for nothing!" Dolph Ziggler gloated in his dorm room, taking out his camera.
Dean felt Roman nudge him. "Baby boy, I thought you said that he's pre law."
"Dolph is president of the Photography Club," Dean explained. "This is how he makes money."
"What kind of genre are you interested in?" Dolph asked, walking up to them with his Nikon D810 camera.
"R&B and soul music," Roman answered.
"Hmmm I'm thinking a suit and tie. And maybe a man bun."
Roman nodded. "I can do that. Give me thirty minutes."
So his boyfriend left for the pre law student's dorm room, leaving Dean alone with Dolph. "So how are Seth and you?"
"Well, I really like him. And he… I guess he really likes me," Dolph gushed. "I'm seeing him again on Saturday."
"I'm happy for you both."
"What's up with you two?"
Dean tapped his fingers on his knees. "Roman's my boyfriend."
"And?"
"And what?"
"Do you love him?"
Dean remained quiet. He wasn't ready to say those words or even share how he felt with anyone.
"It'll happen eventually," Dolph assured him.
"Possibly," was all he allowed himself to say.
Roman returned back looking devastatingly handsome in a dark blue suit with checkered tie, his hair in a tight man bun. Dean was speechless. Mine, he thought with pride.
"What do you think?" his boyfriend asked.
"I think you're going to knock them off their feet," Dean declared, still in awe.
Roman seemed pleased. His cheeks were also tinted red, the blue eyed man realised.
Dolph whistled. "I'm with Dean on this. Okay, let's head out to the balcony. The old buildings make a nice backdrop."
"Let's do this!"
Roman was exhausted after the photoshoot but happy with the outtakes so far. Dolph promised to send him the edits by Sunday and he couldn't be happier. He was charged three hundred dollars for the session and photographs in total.
Dean and him went to the cafeteria for their dinner where they ate grilled fish together. "So how many songs are you planning to record?"
"Three," Roman revealed. "As by George Michael. If Ever You're In My Arms Again by Peabo Bryson. When I Fall In Love by Nat King Cole."
"Sap."
Roman laughed. "Love makes the world go round."
"That's cliche and you know it."
"Nah it's something I believe in though."
After reaching back the dorm, they couldn't keep their hands off one another, clothes being tossed about carelessly. "Dean?" he murmured against his boyfriend's ear.
"Yeah?"
"I wanna make love."
Dean stared at him. "You… do?"
He nodded slowly. "Have you ever made love before?"
"No…"
And Roman pressed his lips gently against his, showing him in action how much he adored him.
They laid in bed a while later, contented.
Roman loved Dean more than he had loved anyone before and it scared him in a good way. He didn't doubt that his boyfriend's eyes would roam. So far, he was cordial to people instead of being flirtatious with them the way he used to.
"You know what would be perfect?" Dean said.
"What?" Roman wanted to know.
"You singing."
That was a good request. But what song could he sing to convey his feelings?
Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling
Do you feel my heart beating
Do you understand
Do you feel the same
Am I only dreaming
Is this burning an eternal flame
I believe it's meant to be, darling
I watch you when you are sleeping
You belong with me
Do you feel the same
Am I only dreaming
Or is this burning an eternal flame
Dean's blue eyes seemed to be reading him, as if he were trying to figure him out.
Roman traced a circular scar on the side of his right pec that he just noticed. "How did you get this?"
"You have a nice voice," Dean answered instead.
He was avoiding the question, Roman noted. "Thank you." What are you hiding, Dean?
"I'm tired." His boyfriend snuggled near him. "Good night."
"Good night."
He heard Dean's quiet breath after a moment. As Roman rubbed his boyfriend's back, his mind was about to drift to the man in his arms before his eyes slowly closed as well.
When he woke up in the morning, Dean was gone. He had left some keys and a note informing Roman he had gone to the mart close by to get some groceries. The Samoan man yawned and stretched his arm. Maybe he should take a shower first.
There was an urgent knock on the door.
Roman quickly took out a pair of shorts from his luggage before opening the door.
Seth was standing in front of him. "Hey, Roman!" he greeted him warmly. "How are you?"
"I'm good. Dean's not here. He went to buy some groceries."
"No problem. I wanted to pass him some t-shirts that I don't use anymore."
A thought entered Roman's head. "Hey, Seth? Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"There's a scar near Dean's pec and I was wondering if you knew how he got it. He wouldn't tell me when I asked him."
The two toned man looked left and right before coming inside the dorm room. Roman closed the door and leaned against it. Seth looked sad. "It was from someone he loved."
Roman blinked. "What?"
"Yeah. When he was a freshman here, Dean used to have it bad for a guy named Chris Hero who was quarterback of our football team; he no longer goes here. Dude transferred during sophomore. Anyways I was convinced Chris felt nothing for him but Dean was oblivious and was led about by him. They flirted and fooled around. One day, he declared his love to Chris after their tryst and he rejected Dean, even going so far as to insult him and all… basically just making him feel worthless. As if that wasn't enough, that asshole took the cigarette he had been smoking and stubbed it out there."
"What?" Roman whispered achingly.
"Yeah. It was quite bad. Dean said the scar would serve him as a reminder."
"Of what?"
Seth shrugged. "That I can't tell you."
The Samoan man's heart went out to his boyfriend. What an asshole. Roman had half a mind to go out and find him to just break his face. "Thanks for telling me what you can, Seth."
"Hey, no worries, man. I like you and I think you'll be the one to open his heart."
"I'm not sure, Seth. I mean after what you said-"
"Dean is not an idiot, Roman. I'm sure he can see that you're different."
When his boyfriend returned, Seth had already left. Dean had bought bread, jam, milk and some ice cream. "I hope you're partial to chocolate," he said as he shut the freezer.
"Yeah. Chocolate's good," Roman assured him.
Seth's information helped him understand why Dean behaved a certain way after that sort of treatment. But he seemed much happier now and Roman was sure it was because of him.
"Babe, why do you look like you're planning to solve the whole world's problems?" his boyfriend asked as he sipped on a glass of water.
Considering that Dean was now his whole world, that didn't seem far off. "Maybe I can?" he replied.
"Superman."
Roman liked that nickname. "So what do you want to do today?"
"Today, we're going to just relax. Maybe go out for a movie or something. It would be nice to just do couple stuff."
His heart melted. "Yeah. Or we could stay in and just chill."
"Sounds even better." Dean took off his t-shirt and tossed it in the laundry basket. "Let's eat first though. I have some popcorn so we can have that for whatever you want to watch on my laptop."
"Let's watch Inferno."
"Hmmm Tom Hanks… sold."
Roman spread some strawberry jam on the wholemeal bread at the tiny dining table by the side while Dean boiled water for their coffee. Domestic life and Dean Ambrose? The grey eyed man wished someone would shake him; maybe he was dreaming.
"Did your father call?" Dean asked as he sat down on the other chair.
"No. I don't know if I'm ready to talk to him even if he did call."
"That's to be expected; some harsh words were exchanged. Not to mention harsh decisions as well… I just wished he'd change his mind without you having to give up your dreams."
"That'll never happen. He was always against me doing this."
"But if he saw how much happier you were-"
"Trust me, baby boy. I know my father all too well." He reached for his boyfriend's hand across the table. "It doesn't matter because I've got you."
And you've got me, he added silently.
Dean found Roman treating him as if he was made of glass during sex after breakfast even though he tried to be rough.
His boyfriend refused to let him be aggressive. Instead he pressed barely there kisses on his face, neck and shoulders, whispering loving words and praises.
The Samoan beauty placed a lingering kiss on his scar, causing his heart to ache. His boyfriend's warm mouth closed over his nipple and Dean stopped thinking altogether.
"I love you," Roman declared as he thrusted into him.
I love you too, he silently responded.
His lips got covered by the grey eyed singer's, their tongues caressing one another's. Dean clung onto him as their lovemaking intensified.
Roman came first, releasing his contents into the condom. Dean came then, the sight of his boyfriend's orgasm triggering his own.
The warmth of the Samoan man's smile before he kissed him once more made him feel loved.
It was hard to declare it the way he wanted to so he just smiled back.
Roman went to fetch a clean cloth as Dean slowly stood up. "What do you-"
The sound of Roman's phone cut him off. His boyfriend came into the room and handed him the cloth before answering the call.
"Hello?" his boyfriend answered. "Dad?!"
Dean held his breath for a bit. Maybe Roman's father wanted to make amends with him.
"Are you sure? After all you've said… okay sure. I'll see you later." Roman hung up and turned to him. "Dad asked to come over."
"Okay I'll get changed-"
"Just me."
What was his father up to? "Oh."
"Would you like to follow me though?"
"Sure." There was no way he would allow anyone to gang up on Roman.
When they reached the lakehouse, Sika was at the outdoor bench talking to Jaxon and his father. Roman held Dean's hand firmly, not a smile on his face when he approached them.
Sika's face lit up when he saw him. "Roman!"
"Dad," his boyfriend replied in a neutral tone.
"I thought I told you to come alone."
"Whatever you have to say to me, you can do so in front of Dean. He's not only my boyfriend, he's also my family."
"This guy?" Jaxon's father scoffed. "What can an orphan show you about family?"
Dean was about to retort but Roman beat him to it. "The fact that he appreciates it is one. The fact that he treats me like one is another. I don't want you or your son here when I'm talking to my father."
"Dean's here," Sika pointed out.
"I don't have time for negotiations. Either they both go or Dean and I will leave."
Jaxon's father cleared his throat. "Your father and I discovered something about your boyfriend, Roman. We wanted to share with you our discovery but since you insist he be present, let us expose him then."
Dean stiffened.
"That's why you called me here?" Roman thundered. "I don't need this. Dean doesn't need this. Just leave us both alone! We're done with the lot of you!"
Roman pulled him along to the car, ignoring his family pleas.
"Babe, there is something I haven't told you about myself," Dean admitted.
"Unless you're a criminal, Dean, you're entitled to keep it to yourself," Roman said as they settled inside the car.
He kept quiet. "Close enough for that."
"You sell drugs?"
"Nope."
"Extort money?"
"Not even close. Though what I do involves money."
His boyfriend was looking at him now. "What do you mean?"
"I race, Roman. I race illegally at night for money."
A/N Oh boy… Thank you all for the kind reviews, favorites and follows. Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas!