Eight

"Why are we going to this party again?" Roman asked as he put on a black leather jacket, his hair secured neatly in a man bun.

"I was invited to it ages ago," Dean explained, sipping Roman's bottle of iced tea. "So I kinda have to go. Oh. Also I slept the host of this party a few times before. He's kinda my fuck buddy since high school."

Nothing he didn't know about his… "Dean?"

"Yeah, Rome?" Dean was now admiring himself in the mirror.

"We're together, right? I mean we're boyfriends…?"

The auburn haired man pressed their lips together. "Yeah, Roman. We are."

"Just checking."

"To see if it's a dream? I told you it wasn't."

"Okay."

Truth be told, Roman was nervous. Only a week ago, Dean confessed he was Roman's, said he was falling for him. But how long before he started flirting again? Stop it, he chided himself silently. Don't ruin a good thing.

The party was in the same building as Dean's dorm room and it was packed with people whom Roman barely knew or even saw around campus.

"Can we stay for an hour and then leave?" Roman asked.

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I… uh… wanna be alone with you."

"Sure. An hour and then we-"

"Deano!" a voice boomed out. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up!"

"And miss this?" Dean scoffed to the Irish guy. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Beer?"

"Don't have to ask me twice."

Roman watched his boyfriend walk off with his friend through the crowd… What the-

"Roman!"

What was Dolph doing here? Roman wondered as he hugged his best friend. "What are you doing here?"

"AJ's friends with the host."

"Dean's fuck buddy?"

Dolph laughed. "So he told you. Yeah. Congratulations, man. I don't know how you did it but you managed to snag him after all." The blond looked around. "Where is he?"

Roman shrugged. "Went to get beer."

"Hmmm…"

Roman spent few minutes chatting with Dolph before he saw Dean laughing with a guy who looked familiar.

And that was when his heart sank.

"Dolph, what is Jason doing here?" Roman asked.

Dolph followed his gaze. "I have no idea. That asshole-"

Dean waved to Jason before joining Dolph and him. "Dean," Roman began, "That guy-"

"Oh Jason?" Dean said. "We used to date."

Roman stared at him. "What?"

"Yeah. Was one of my ex boyfriends. Met him at a party during high school. Was a mutual friend's. Nice guy. Goes to another college but we're still good friends."

The nursing major felt sick to his stomach. "Friends?" Roman took a deep breath. "Dean… that's my ex boyfriend. The one I told you about.

Dolph scowled. "The one I punched."

Dean looked horrified. "What? He's the one who tripped you?"

Roman nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"Babe, I had no idea."

"You couldn't possibly have known that."

"This is probably the wrong time to tell you that he invited us to go on a double date with him and his boyfriend."

"He knows we're together?"

"No. I did tell him I'm in a serious relationship again."

"When is this double date?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Dean!"

"I'm sorry. I know we had nothing planned… and I haven't seen him in a while. Sure we send messages-"

Roman rolled his eyes. "Is there a point to your ramble, Dean?"

"Look. Just go with me on this. We won't have to go out with him again after tomorrow."

Was Dean suggesting… "You mean you're ending your friendship with him?"

"Eh… I mean you actually."

Roman was disappointed but who was he to stand in the way of Dean's friendship? "Of course."

Dolph was not as nice as Roman. "Dean, don't make me kick your ass."

Ever the clueless one, Dean asked, "Why on earth would you do that for?"

"You need to stop seeing him too."

"But-" Then the mass communication major yelped when Dolph stomped on his foot. "What the hell?!"

"That guy's an asshole!"

"Okay but-"

"But nothing!"

"Dolph," Roman intercepted. "It's okay."

"No, it's not!" Dolph argued.

"It is. He may have been an asshole to me but maybe he's a real good friend to Dean."

"What?" Dolph screeched. "Roman, you can't be that lovesick!"

Roman was about to reply but Dean reached for his hand. "No, babe. Dolph's right."

"Dean, I'm not a selfish person. If you guys have been good friends for a long time, it makes no sense to break it off for something that happened a long time ago. I'll be fine."

His boyfriend looked dubious. "Really?"

"Yeah, really." For Dean, he'd endure anything.

Dean enjoyed the slow pace Roman had taken during their love making later that night.

He could hear Roman vowing his love over and over and felt humbled hearing it. What did Roman see in him?

"You know you can do better than me, right?" he asked later, nestled in Roman's arms.

His boyfriend gave him a look. "When it's you I have my heart set on?"

"I'm a horrible person, Roman."

"We all have our flaws, Dean. No one's perfect."

"You are."

"Far from it. I've done stupid stuff."

For some reason, that intrigued Dean. "Like what?"

"I got drunk once. It was after my break up with Jason and I broke into my dad's cabinet to drink his prized whiskey. You can only imagined my dad's anger; he whooped my butt for it."

Dean wished he could punch Jason on his face for that. But Dolph had already beat him to it.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"I know I shouldn't be asking you this but who's better satisfying you?"

Dean smiled. Might as well… "To be honest, Roman, you're the first guy who's taken me. I've always given."

"I had no idea!" Roman sat up. "You should have told me."

"Nah… it's not a big deal."

"Of course, it is. Dean, I thought that you've done-"

"Nope. I'm glad it's you though, Roman."

"But I thought you were thinking about me as-"

"Hey. We've put that behind us. And frankly, I liked it, Roman. So stop worrying."

Roman wasn't done yet, the Care Bear. "Did I hurt you?"

"Nothing but slight discomfort that lasted a while so relax."

His boyfriend opened his mouth to say more but Dean fused their lips together. Roman moaned, the sound giving Dean a thrill.

How did he get so lucky with him? If Jason made one slip about Roman, Dean wouldn't have it. This elusive treasure was his to love and hold; Dean intended to hold on to him for all time.

"What are you thinking?" Roman asked quietly.

"You. Me. Us," Dean answered, tracing Roman's nose. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking of a second round."

"Did you even have to think about that?"

Their lips met again halfway, hands all over one another.

Roman sat beside Dean the next day at the table at the student operated restaurant, Mario's with Jason and his date, Adam. To say that Jason was surprised was one thing but the way Dean had looked - proud, beaming with pride - made Roman's heart swell.

"This is my boyfriend, Roman," Dean introduced.

Jason smiled; Roman recognised it as his fake one. "Well, this is awkward. Roman and I used to date."

"Oh, it's good that you're no longer together," Dean agreed. "I should thank you for letting him go."

Roman bit back a smile as he broke the bread on his plate in half. Jason looked like he was trying to control his precious temper.

"How did you two meet anyways?" his ex boyfriend asked.

"At a wedding," came Dean's simple reply before turning his attention to Roman. "So what are we having, babe?"

Roman hadn't even open the menu. "Well, I guess shrimp scampi if they have some."

Dean nodded. "I'll have the same too. Maybe some fried mozzarella cheese and chocolate gelato to share?"

"Sounds good."

Jason cleared his throat as he signalled for the waiter.

Roman wasn't paying attention; he was too busy gazing blissfully at Dean who was typing away on his phone, his face slightly flustered. Mid way, the phone rang so the auburn haired man excused himself to answer it. Adam tossed his napkin on the table, mumbling about going to the gents.

"Hmmm must be one of the guys who he flirted with before," Jason commented.

"He's with me now," Roman shot back.

"Is he? I mean, Roman, come on. You look gorgeous now but would he have looked at you twice if you were still the tub of lard you were back in freshman year?"

Roman clenched his fist. "Dean isn't shallow."

"Isn't shallow? Are you kidding me? Dude will be breaking up with you when the next good looking guy passes his way. He'll feel suffocated being in a relationship with you after that. Happened to him and me. We only dated for two months."

"Maybe it had to do with you being a jackass."

"Oh Roman. You're still upset about us?"

"I moved on. Maybe you should too." Roman ended the topic there. He knew what Dean was like; the man could charm anyone and have them smitten by the end of the conversation. He was a huge flirt but cheating wasn't his thing; Roman was absolutely sure of that.

A good example was him breaking up with Jason because catch of the week or month caught his attention.

"What did I miss?" Dean asked, returning to his seat.

"Nothing," Jason replied.

"Where's your date?"

"Went to the gents. He's been feeling under the weather."

"Should have told me, Jase. I would have postponed the meeting."

"It's okay. I was curious about the man who captured your attention enough to make you want to settle down. Small world."

Asshole.

"More like stole my heart," Dean declared. "Kind of hard not to. He's just so damn lovable."

Roman was pretty sure he was blushing now.

When the appetiser was served, Adam returned back; his face looked pale. Dean asked the poor guy if he wanted to leave early but he declined. Roman wasn't surprised that Jason hadn't bothered to ask after the guy.

The rest of dinner was amiable with mostly Dean and Jason talking. Roman wasn't in the mood to talk and neither was Adam who played about with his food.

Dean fed him the chocolate gelato, alternating between the two of them. Roman loved how affectionate his boyfriend was. This was a dream come true and Roman was contented. He used to be teased playfully by Dolph about him wanting Dean and how Dean would be quite a tough one to settle down…

Roman was glad that his faith in them won in the end.

"Back to lectures tomorrow," Dean complained as the four of them stood outside the restaurant. "Adam, you should probably rest, man."

"I'll be fine," Adam replied softly, eyes averting Dean's.

"Don't like college, Dean?" Jason chuckled.

"I like it enough." Dean linked his arm through Roman's. "But now I get to see this guy here at the end of the day; makes it so much better."

"Well, catch up with you some other time, Dean," Jason said, his smile tight. "Roman, it was great seeing you again."

Dean bid him farewell while Roman didn't say a word. His boyfriend raised an eyebrow while Jason strolled off with Adam behind. "You okay, babe?" Dean asked. "What did he say?"

"Nothing important," Roman quickly answered as they started to walk back to Dean's dorm where Roman had left his overnight stuff and materials for lessons tomorrow.

"Well, you're quiet-"

"Dean, would you have gone out with me if I looked the way I did in high school?"

Dean grinned devilishly. "Roman, I love all kinds of men. Your personality was what caught me besides your looks. I don't go out with plastic people. Besides, more meat on you means more cushion for me to grope."

Roman thought that was the most romantic thing he had ever heard from anyone. "Maybe I'll eat more…"

"You do what makes you happy, babe," Dean commented, stopping mid pace to plant a quick kiss to his lips. "I love you for who you are, not what you are."

Roman cupped Dean's cheeks before giving him a soul searching kiss. "You were rubbing it in Jason's face just now," the Samoan man said as they continued walking.

"Was I?" Dean looked puzzled. "I was merely sharing my happiness. It's not my fault if it appears that way to him. I hope Adam's okay though. I kept hoping he didn't pass out."

"Jason didn't seemed too concerned."

"Hmmm something was bothering him. Are you sure he didn't say anything to upset you?"

"No."

He could feel Dean looking at him but he ignored it. The reason was simple: Dean had said he loved him.

A/N I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter; thank you for your favorite, kudos, bookmarks, follows and reviews :-)