Two

Roman didn't know what to do with his hands. He knew he wanted Dean to hold either one of it but he didn't know how much Dean was interested in him. He sneaked a glance at the handsome blond who was walking beside him in the park. The cast of the moon's light on his face made him look softer and Roman felt himself wondering what it would be like to kiss those lips.

Forever the hopeless romantic. At least that was what Jason had teased him countless of times.

"I hope dinner was okay," Dean said.

Roman snapped out of his daydream. "Yeah I loved it." He shoved his hands in his pocket. "So… did you always wanted to be a cop?"

Dean smiled at him knowingly. Roman fervently hoped Dean was bad at reading people. But that was silly. It was highly likely he knew how to profile people. "You can give me your hand, Roman," the blond said.

Roman's jaw dropped. "What?"

"Your hand. You've been fidgeting with both of them ever since we got here."

"Oh," Roman laughed nervously. "I was ummm… busy worrying about… work."

"Really? You give me the vibe of a man who prepares and plans ahead, Roman."

"I do? Well it really depends I guess. Some days I just go with the flow."

Dean pulled his right hand out from his pocket to his surprise and held it. "Just go with the flow on this one then."

They found a bench that overlooked the lake in a secluded area. To his delight, Dean still held his hand even when they sat down there, staring out at the still water. "So tell me more about yourself, Dean."

Dean smiled, a dimple appearing. Oh no. This guy was bad news in a good way. "Well, it may come as a surprise but I come from a well to do family," Dean replied. "I don't live with them though; I've been living on my own since I was eighteen. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer but I didn't. I always wanted to be a cop ever since I watched re runs of 21 Jump Street… the tv show I mean. So after graduating high school, I enrolled in college and earned my degree in criminal justice and joined the Haydon Heights Police Force."

"Do you still talk to your family?"

"Yeah I still do. I visit them twice a month or turn up for any family gathering if I'm not busy."

"You must have lived a life filled with high expectations then. Are they okay with your career choice now?"

"They've learn to accept it. They're not thrilled but they're not unhappy either. It's weird. What about you? Why are you in a small cafe, Roman?"

"My brother needed help for his place so I worked here. To be honest, it's my dream to work at the Sheraton Agoura Hills Hotel and I did receive a job offer there but my brother's baker had quitted and he had no one and came to me so I gave it up and worked here ever since."

Dean looked at him in surprise. "You gave up your dreams for someone else?"

"Well, he's family and family always comes first for me."

Dean's cellular phone rang then and he muttered a curse before excusing himself. Roman watched him walk a few metres away and bit his lip. He appeared to not like whatever it was he was hearing on the phone.

Five minutes later, the blond cop walked back towards him. "Sorry about that," Dean apologised. "Personal stuff."

"If you need to head back-"

"Nothing important. It's my work partner, John. I've made the mistake of telling him about you and now he won't stop bugging me to come to his home for a dinner party." He leaned back on the chair and held Roman's hand again. "Do you want to go? To the party?"

Roman was flattered though he didn't dare say so in case Dean thought him weird. "I'd like that. Thank you. I've never been to a dinner party before."

"Lots of idle chatter, jokes and all that jazz."

"You don't seem to like it."

"Not my scene. An ice cold Miller Lite with my friends at Joe's and I'm a happy man. Unfortunately I always get dragged to their parties by Seth."

Seth? Roman wondered who that was but maybe it wasn't in his place to ask unless Dean wanted to talk about it.

"It's almost ten. Do you want to go home?"

"I guess."

The drive home was filled with stories of their childhood. Dean's childhood sounded like a fantasy. Whatever he wanted, his parents gave him. Except for his career choice, it seemed like they spoiled him rotten but his character seemed to be anything but that.

Roman didn't have much growing up and usually he had to share with his brother. When his parents went to work, he cooked simple dishes for lunch and dinner. Usually his brother, Rosey, had the bigger share but Roman hadn't mind. That stirred a passion in him for cooking hence he saved money for culinary school.

He was currently living in his brother's basement for the time being until he could afford an apartment. This fact seemed to surprised Dean when he dropped Roman off. "Doesn't your brother pay you?" he asked.

"Well… he does," Roman explained, "but most of my money goes towards rent here and for utilities so it's going to take a while." He bit his lip. "Thanks for dinner, Dean. I look forward to Saturday."

He hadn't felt this nervous in a long time. He really liked Dean and hoped that the scruffy blond felt the same.

Dean smiled. "Actually I thought I'd drop by tomorrow at the cafe for lunch. If you're okay with that, of course."

Roman felt his heart caught in his throat. "...Yeah. Sure."

"Well, see you tomorrow, Roman." Dean gave him a wave and walked back to the car. Roman stared after him, a goofy smile on his face.

"Damn it, Seth! What are you doing here?" Dean scowled at his ex boyfriend who had shown up at the police station in the late morning the next day. Seth was an aspiring actor who worked as a receptionist for a law firm downtown.

He had been reminiscing over his date last night; a first for him ever. As he drove home last night, he found himself wishing he had kissed him. The man had such gorgeous lips and it was a pity Dean hadn't leaned over and got their lips acquainted. Roman was something wonderful and that was why he impulsively decided to go to the cafe again today.

That was until a certain cretin showed up.

"I left some of my clothes over at your apartment, Dean," Seth complained. "I need my cashmere sweaters and Levis jeans back."

"Oh." Dean grinned mischievously. "I think I threw them out."

"Dean! How could you?"

"Well for one, I bought those for you and two, they don't fit me."

"Nothing fits you except those leather jackets you love to wear so much. I hope you're joking about throwing away my clothes."

"Maybe."

"Dean!"

"Okay, fine. You can pick them up later."

"Great. Now can you buy me lunch?"

"Fucking hell, Seth! Are you serious?"

"I'm hungry," his ex boyfriend whined. "Surely you wouldn't let a person starve, Dean."

Dean was seriously wondering why he even bothered entertaining Seth. Why did they ever date? Oh yeah. He was charming as hell. Unfortunately charm didn't work when Dean caught him in bed with a fellow actor. Whilst he had been angry then, once he had calmed down, he realised it was a good thing. He wasn't in love with Seth. He merely liked his company. "Fine. But one sandwich and a drink and that's all you're getting."

Seth pouted. "And a cookie?"

"Read my lips. NO."

Roman beamed when Dean walked in through the door. He glanced at the clock. Eleven thirty. That was awfully early for lunch.

A two toned haired man stepped in behind him. "Hey, Roman," Dean greeted, giving him a smile that showed off that dimple. Roman felt his insides melt. "I'll have that cream cheese again. I'm guessing that's your recipe?"

"Yeah," Roman said. "It is."

"Do you have a gents around here?"

"The restaurant next door. They don't mind our patrons using their bathrooms."

"Thanks." He frowned at the two toned man then. "Behave."

Roman smiled after Dean again as he walked out the door - the lovesick man he was - before he caught Seth scowling at him. "Ummm… sorry about that. Can I get your order-"

"Seth. My name's Seth."

Seth. The Seth Dean was mentioning last night. "Hi Seth. Can-"

"And I'd appreciate if you stopped looking at my boyfriend that way."

His boyfriend? Dean had a boyfriend? "Oh… I'm… sorry." Roman felt like an idiot. "I had no idea he had a boyfriend." But Dean had brought him out on a date and-

"Yeah well… don't do that again. I'd like the same thing he's having," Seth said haughtily.

"Sure."

Roman felt hurt. Maybe it was true that all the good men were taken or dead. He placed two brown bags near the counter. Dean stepped in then with a bright smile which dimmed as soon as he looked at Roman who was feeling crestfallen at that moment.

"What did you do, Seth?" he snarled.

Roman was taken aback by Dean's sudden change in mood. Seth gulped. "Uh…nothing."

"Don't even think of lying, Seth. You're talking to a cop, not a kid."

"Can't we talk about this in private, please?"

Dean walked up to the counter. "What did he do or say?"

"Nothing. I mean he introduced himself. That's all." He forced himself a smile. "That'd be four dollars."

Dean's eyes never left his as he took out his wallet. Even as he was paying for the purchase. "Ummm… everything okay?" Roman asked nervously. Dean's stare was making him feel intimidated. "Sss-Seth and you make a good looking couple."

"What?" Dean said loudly, startling Roman. He turned towards Seth's direction but the two toned man was gone. "Fuck." He looked at Roman again. "Seth and I are not a couple. We haven't been a couple for over eight months. He's my annoying ex-boyfriend."

A huge wave of relief swept over him. "Oh."

"I don't come with any strings, I promise. Well except for that one. He's yet to clear the remainder of his clothes."

Roman handed him the brown bags. "One of it is for him."

"Nah. I'll just eat both. They're really delicious." His blue eyes seemed to be staring straight into his soul. "We're good?"

"We're good," Roman replied with a huge smile. Play it cool, you dork.

"There's that smile. I gotta head back to the station. Don't go accepting dates from other people."

Roman felt his heart pounding. "I… I won't."

"You still have one with me on Saturday."

"Right. Wait what should I wear?"

"Casual is fine. John's grilling hot dogs and making burgers. He changed his mind." He was walking to the door when he turned around and went back to the pick up counter where Roman was wiping the table. "I almost forgot something."

"What?"

Dean leaned over and pressed his lips against his. It took him a while to register the kiss before he returned it. They pulled apart after a while. The blond was smiling at him. "Been kicking myself all night and this morning for not doing that last night."

"You were?"

"Oh definitely. See you tomorrow. I'll be back for these."

Roman sat down on the stool near the coffee machine. Dean loved his cream cheese bread. Dean kissed him. Dean was coming back tomorrow.

So he was a lovesick dork. He couldn't be happier about it.

John was blasting music on his iPhone while reading through files beside him. It was a slow day at the station and Dean was flipping through statement reports given by several men in the area who had fallen victim to the criminal they now called Casanova.

Bad English was being played from iTunes:

When I see you smile, I can face the world

Oh, oh

You know I can do anything

When I see you smile, I see a ray of light

Oh, oh

"This guy must be something if you're smiling reading through those reports."

Dean shook his head. "It's not him," he said, forcing himself to scowl which he knew he failed; it was hard to scowl when it was Roman on his mind.

"Right. Dean, we've been partners for over eight years and you have not smiled like that in… well since the day I met you really."

"Mmm… so who's coming for the barbecue again?"

"Just the four of us. I don't want to scare off your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Oh. So just the rebound guy till someone comes along?"

"John, don't you have a report to read through as well?"

"I'm just saying there's nothing wrong in wanting a guy without having to analyse every detail."

Dean sighed. "Actually with Roman, it's different. No analysing, no second thoughts… no pondering… nothing. It's weird. I went with my gut feeling this time around."

"Feels good, doesn't it?"

"In a way... but I don't know. What if I'm doing this all wrong?"

"Well, this is how I see it. You met a guy you liked a lot. You went out and the chemistry or sparks were there and you want to see more of him. That's okay, Dean. I've been in a relationship like that before."

"Did it work out?"

"No but that doesn't mean it'd be the same for Roman and you." John suddenly paused. "Wait. His name is Roman?"

"Yeah. Why?" Dean hoped it wasn't because John had dated him before. "Something on your mind?"

"It's just that Dwayne has a cousin named Roman."

"Have you met him before?"

"Roman? Yeah. Nice guy… possibly the nicest guy I've met. He's just a ray of sunshine which is quite bittersweet especially with all that's happened to him."

"All that happened?"

"It's… not my place to say."

Dean refused to let this go. "John, is there something I should know about him?"

"Well… oh fuck. This stays between us both, okay? He was a rape victim before."

"What?" Dean's heart sank. "What… how?"

"His parents well… they abandoned his brother and him so his mother's aunt took them both in. To make money, she pimped him out."

"Why him?" Dean was furious. "Why not his brother?"

"Because well… you've seen him. He's not just 'okay' looking, Dean. Thanks for the bluff. Anyways, from what Dwayne had told me, it was supposed to be non sexual. Just accompany people for dates or events that kind of stuff until one night one of the clients got drunk and well…" John trailed off.

"Did they ever catch the guy?"

"No. Dude just disappeared."

"And the aunt? What about her?"

"Dwayne's mother stepped in and had her reported to the authorities. By that time, Rosey - that's Roman's brother - was eighteen years old so they got a place of their own."

"But I don't get it. Where did they get money from?"

"The aunt. She kept money aside in a giant tin box so Rosey snatched that box and kept it."

Dean frowned then. Roman was being sorely mistreated by his family members. It was bad enough his brother was treating him like he was a lowly skilled worker while taking a huge chunk out of his salary for the rent and utilities; now his supposed caretaker too?

For a man who puts family first, he sure wasn't getting back what he gave.

Dean felt a huge need to protect him and keep him safe. Roman deserved all the happiness in the world and Dean intended to give it to him.

A/N I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. By the way, the title is a song from Metallica. I hope you give it a listen. Thank you for the reviews/favorites/follows. For some reason though, FF is not reflecting it on the page :-(