Chapter 21

Roman had a gorgeous smile.

That was the only thought in Dean's head at the present. He was leaning over the back of couch listening to Roman recount a funny moment at the gym while he sat on the couch looking up at him. The corners of his eyes were crinkled, his smile wide and bright and he looked so damn happy in that moment. It did something to Dean that he didn't quite understand. He felt a warmth radiating in him and he didn't know why it happened. Well okay, he could figure out easily why he felt the way that he did. He had sort of come around to the idea of what it was but it still seemed to be a bit farfetched and a bit out there, especially for him. But Roman laughed and there went that fleeting warmth again.

He craned his neck a bit and pressed his lips against Roman's momentarily. He felt Roman's hand cupping his head to keep him still so that he could return the kiss. He cupped Roman's head as well, keeping their lips together for a few more seconds. He figured this is what people referred to as the perfect moment. He could smell Roman, taste him, feel him. He was everywhere and Dean wanted to dive right in. But a part of him held back. That cautious, street smart side of him that kept him alive all these years. But yet as Roman gently sucked on his bottom lip, Dean's defenses slipped a bit. It had been a few weeks since he caught Roman tailing him at night. He knew that Roman had meant no harm by it. He only did it because he was worried about him. Dean had never dated anyone had cared so much about him before. To be honest, it scared him a bit.

The kiss ended and Roman had the stupid, dumb smile on his face as Dean pulled away. His blue eyes roamed the handsome face as if he was searching for some sort of sign but he didn't know what it was he was looking for exactly. He found it when he kissed Roman again.

" It's been eight months."

Dean looked at Sami a bit lost. " What's been eight months?"

" How long you've been here in New York." Sami grinned.

Dean took a careful sip of his beer and put his feet up on his coffee table. " So?"

Sami sanked into the couch, sprawling open his body while holding his beer in his left hand. " Didn't think that you would've stuck around so long."

Dean grunted and glanced at the television screen and then back at this best friend. Subconsciously his fingers had started to drum against his thigh. " You got something to say Sami?"

" Nope." Sami took a long drink of the beer. Dean knew that Sami knew that it irritated him. " Just making an observation."

Nothing was said for the next few minutes as the television sound filled the void. Dean finished his beer and placed the bottle on the floor next to the couch. " There's good work here." He didn't know why he said it. He just felt as if he had to defend himself.

" True." Sami's eyes didn't move off the screen. " Is that the only reason that's keeping you here?"

" What are you getting at Zayn?" Dean tried but his emotions were getting the best of him. Yes Sami knew him well. They went far back. But he wasn't supposed to know him this well.

" You know damn well what I'm getting at." Sami was playing with him. He could hear the glib in his voice. Taunting him just to rile him up.

Dean snatched the empty bottle off the floor and marched off to the kitchen. " Leave Roman out of this." He threw the bottle in the garbage. He retrieved a fresh bottle from the fridge. When he closed the door and turned around Sami was standing in the kitchen with him.

" I can't leave Roman out of this."

There was a strange look in his best friend's eyes. It was soft. Unusual. The more he stared the more he was befuddled until it clicked. It was pity.

" Goddamn it Sami." Dean pushed passed him and headed to the living room. " Just drop it okay."

Dean dropped down hard on the couch, spilling some of the beer out of the bottle. It splashed over his hand and ran down his fingers on to his jeans. " Fuck! See what shit you just made me do?"

Sami silently offered a tissue and Dean snatched it. He dabbed at the mess with fevour and Sami just watched him.

Dean tossed the soiled paper on the coffee table and finally took a sip of his drink. But he couldn't relax because he felt Sami's eyes on him. Scrutinizing him. Fuck. He couldn't be comfortable in his own home.

" What?" Dean snapped as he turned to Sami.

However, the shorter, red head man remained unphased. " Nothing." He shrugged his shoulders casually. " Just never thought that the day would come that I would see you in love."

" I'm not ..." Dean gritted through his teeth. " In love."

Sami just sighed softly and shook his head. " If that's what you want to tell yourself in order to sleep at night."

" Jolly Rancher?"

Mark offered the plastic wrapped candy stick to him. It was the green wrapper. Dean took it. He liked the apple flavour. Dean unwrapped the candy and stuck the end into his mouth. The sickenly sweet apple flavour quickly coating his taste buds. He sank down into his seat as he looked out in to the patchy darkness of the alley.

Mark unwrapped his own Jolly Rancher and sucked on it. " So I heard from Hunter that you've asked for a few more weeks."

" Uh huh."

Mark looked at him but Dean continued sucking on the candy earnestly, pulling the wrapper down so that he could fit more in his mouth.

" It's going to be spring soon. I thought you wanted out of New York. I remembered when you said how much you hated it here."

Dean placed his feet up on the dashboard, crossing his legs. " It's not so bad once you get used to it."

" Really?" Mark didn't sound convinced.

Dean glanced at him. " Yeah really."

Mark bit off part of the hard candy and crunched it with his teeth. " This change of heart wouldn't have anything to do with your boy now would it?"

" No!"

Dean responded a bit too quickly and from the look that he and Mark exchanged, his partner knew it as well.

" The money's good here." It was blatant that he was trying to save face.

" And having a boy who's crazy about you isn't too bad either." Mark chuckled and looked around the alley. " I can't believed the fucker actually tailed you. He must got it bad for you."

He looked over when there was no comment and found Dean staring into his lap. " Hey, that's a pretty good thing if you ask me."

" Stop making my cat fat."

Dean ignored Roman has he held the piece of the quarter pounder burger out to Colby who gobbled it out of his fingers greedily. While he wouldn't say that he and Colby were now the best of friends, he would say that the cat now tolerated him a lot more.

" He isn't going to get fat." He waited until Roman turned his back to pick up the television remote and snuck Colby a french fry.

" I saw that."

" Saw what?" Dean blinked his eyes innocently.

" Dean, I can see the end of the fry sticking out of the corner of Colby's mouth."

Dean turned to the cat and saw him battling with the last bit of the fry. " Well see, he's getting his vegetables."

" He's getting his arteries clogged."

Dean rolled his eyes. " Well maybe if you fed him something other than kibble he wouldn't be interested in my burger." Dean defiantly stared Roman in the eye as he fed Colby another piece of the burger.

Roman through his hands up in the air. " I give up." He watched as Dean gleefully observed Colby chowing down the burger. " When he starts throwing up, you're the one who's gonna clean up after him."

" Whatever." Dean dismissed him biting down into the remainder of his sandwich.

He could get used to this. This friendly banter between him and Roman. Spending nights on the couch curled up next to him just watching television. And on the rare occassions that he convinced Roman to let him braid his hair. Of course Roman would mutter and complain afterwards when he had to get all the tangles and knots out of it.

But right now, with his head on Roman's lap and the tattooed arm around his waist, Dean was happy. For the first time in a long time, he could say that he was truly happy. No other relationship that he had been in had ever given him this peace of mind. Even though there was a part of him that nagged and said that he was getting too comfortable and that it would never last. But he pushed it away. No, he deserved this. He deserved Roman. He had fought for him more than anyone ever had in his life. He put himself in danger for him. Even though that concerned him he couldn't help but to feel a bit flattered.

He sat up and started peppering kisses slowly across Roman's bare chest. If he couldn't make the words cross his tongue, he could show him how he felt about him. Tender kisses against the bronze skin. Fingers gently curled around the thick neck. A low, throaty rumble eminating from his throat. He cherised every movement and sound. This was his and he was going to savour it forever.

The doorbell sounded and Dean was just about to claim Roman's lips when it did. He cursed it in his mind as Roman excused himself and went to answer it.

Roman wondered who it could be calling on him at this time of night. It better be Dolph or Kofi or he would be pissed. When he opened the door, the last person he ever expected to see was standing there grinning cockily at him.

" Roman." His voice was as deep and smoky as it ever was. He stepped across the threshold without even waiting for an invitation.

" Johnny." Somehow his throat had managed to unblock and he found his voice once more.

" Long time, no see huh?" Johnny moved as if he was going to hug Roman but he took a step back.

" What? Too soon?" Johnny chuckled. Always a bit too smug. Too self assured.

" Hi." That was Dean sliding up behind him and casually slinging one arm across his shoulder.

Johnny looked a bit surprised as he glanced from Dean to Roman. " Who's this?"

" This is Dean." Roman replied. " My boyfriend."

" Really?" Johnny looked obnoxiously shocked, if there was ever such a thing. " This guy?"

Dean instinctively didn't like him when he first laid eyes on him and now he was on his shit list. This guy was tall, and wore tight fitting clothes that emphasized his chiesled physique. His hair was black and slicked back and he was cockier than a rooster.

" Who's this?" Dean inquired.

Roman answered before the man could. " This is Johnny Curtis." Roman paused. " My ex."

Now Dean just wanted bash the smug man's head in just for the hell of it.

Roman could feel the tension rising from Dean and he didn't want things to get out of control. " What do you want Johnny?"

" Can't I stop by and see how an old friend is doing?" He asked gibly.

" We aren't friends." Roman's voice was icy cold.

" Well it seems like you need once since you seem to be dating the bottom of the barrel nowadays."

Roman stopped Dean from taking a swing at him by holding his waist. " Fuck off Johnny."

" Fine." He turned sharply on his heels as if he was leaving but then turned back around. " But one more thing. You have something that belongs to me and I want it back."

Roman looked at him as if he was crazy. " I have nothing that belongs to you."

Johnny crossed his arms across his chest. His muscles bulging through the silky black sleeves of the shirt. " Yes you do. You have my cat. I want my cat back."

A/N: I know that this chapter is a bit short but I've never been one to write a whole lot of unnecessary filler. If it doesn't advance the plot, then it's not going in. Thanks for reading.