Chapter 25:
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not know any of the workers of the WWE personally nor am I affiliated with them in any way. This story is a work of fiction and I make no profit whatsoever from it.
Roman awoke the following morning with a pounding headache. The kind of headache that was right behind his eyes, the painful, throbbing sort of one. After he'd kicked Seth out of his house last night, he'd seen red. Every single fibre of his being had been consumed by rage. The rage that he held for a supposed friend who had no problems whatsoever sleeping with his boyfriend, destroying both a friendship and a relationship was unmeasurable.
He'd wanted to drive straight over to Dean's house and knock the teeth right down his throat but he didn't make it that far. He decided on some liquid courage from his well known acquaintance Jack which quickly escalated. One drink easily turned into three and three turned into a bottle. He didn't remember a whole lot from last night, just an empty, unsettling feeling deep inside of him. He hadn't ever experienced this feeling so bad before and he knew it was because of the man he'd just lost.
He slowly sat up in his bed, his head spinning, his stomach lurching as he reached over and turned off his alarm. Work today was going to be a bitch. If he even made it today. He slowly stood up and made his way towards the bathroom. He groaned loudly when he saw his reflection. There was no other way than to say he looked like shit. His face looked tired and a little clammy, big bags underneath his eyes.
He turned on the tap in the sink and splashed some of the cold water onto his face. He let out a sigh of relief, the splash of water making him feel a little bit better but he knew that there was still a ways to go yet. He popped the door on the medicine cabinet above the sink and retrieved the bottle of Aspirin he always kept in there. He seldom got headaches but when he did, they were always pretty bad. He popped the cap and pulled out two of the circular shaped tablets. He placed the two tablets into his mouth and used some of the tap water to wash it down.
His grey orbs closed for a moment and took a deep breath. Last night felt like a bad dream. His very own nightmare come to life. Even though he had had his suspicions on what was going on with Seth and Dean for months now, the reality of it actually being confirmed was almost too much for him to handle. The pain, the anger, the hurt that he'd felt last night was so much stronger and intense than the last time this situation had happened. He knew it was because Seth was his everything and now he was left with nothing.
He grey orbs reopened and he let out a sad sigh. He ran a hand across his mouth subconsciously before he left the bathroom. He needed a coffee before he did anything else. His eyes caught on the frame next to his bed as he tried to walk straight through his cold, empty bedroom. He walked over to his bedside table and picked up the frame. It was an average sized frame, the photo sitting inside of mirrored edges. Seth's parents had bought it for them years ago but that wasn't what made him stop. The picture inside made his insides coil uncomfortably.
The photo was taken at Seth's sister's wedding almost a year and a half ago and it admittedly was his favourite photo of them. That was why he'd put it next to the bed so he could wake up smiling every single morning, knowing he'd landed the perfect man. The picture had Seth sitting on Roman's lap at the wedding reception, Roman's strong arms around Seth's middle while he placed a kiss on the side of the younger man's face.
He abruptly dropped the frame, hearing a cracking noise as the frame collided with the floor. The photo was too much for him to handle. He didn't even bother to pick the stupid thing up, his feelings too hurt to even comprehend such a thing. He turned away from the mess he'd made and walked out of the bedroom, heading downstairs because he really needed a fucking coffee to start to function properly.
He paused when he reached the bottom stair, his eyes focused on the hallway just towards the left from where he was standing. He tentatively walked towards the hallway, something sparkling on the floor catching his attention as he closed the gap. He grey eyes widened as he looked down the narrow stretch of floor, his eyes focused on the mess that he must have made last night.
Every photo frame that lined the wall in the hallway from the front door to the main part of the house lay shattered on the floorboards. Every single photo of he and Seth had been ripped down, the wall scratched in parts where he'd been too careless to unhook the frame. He very carefully stepped over the piles of glass and made his way into the lounge room where he knew there was more photos. To say he was surprised that there was more broken glass in the living room was understatement.
The large frame that he'd found Seth face pressed against last night was now lying face down on the carpet, glass shattered on either side of the frame. He glanced around the room, seeing many other frames dropped on the floor, glass surrounding them. He groaned loudly as he glanced at the clock. There was no way in hell that he was going to be able to get all of this cleaned up before he had to get to work.
He suddenly got an idea and he made his way out of the lounge room, out of the hallway, narrowing avoiding glass all around before he raced back upstairs. He grabbed his phone from his bedside table, unlocked it and scrolled through his contacts before he settled on a familiar name. He only hoped that the person on the other end of the phone would answer.
He only had to wait a few rings before he heard the other person speak. "Roman. The hell man?! Do you have any idea what the time is?"
"Jey, I'm sorry man." Roman quickly started. "I need you help, uce."
"What happened Rome?" Jey's voice sounded concerned through the phone.
"Do you have any plans for today?" Roman asked, his fingers crossed. He only hoped that his cousin would be able to help him.
"Not until later." Jey yawned. "What's going on dude?"
"Can you come over? Now?" Roman asked, his heart racing.
"Gimme five and I'll be over." Jey yawned again through the phone. "You better feed me when I get there though."
"Thanks Jey. See you soon." Roman said with a relieved sigh before he hung up the phone.
He discarded the phone on his bed and quickly made his way to the bathroom. He stripped himself of his pair of briefs that he'd fallen asleep in and got into the shower. He didn't have much time before he knew Jey would be over so this would be the quickest shower he'd had in his whole life. He turned the taps on and waited until the water temperature was just right before he stepped under the spray. A heavy sigh leaving his lips as the water cascaded seeped into his tense muscles.
He quickly washed his hair and his body before he jumped out of the shower, very conscious of the time and very aware that Jey would be there in literally five minutes time. He stepped out of the shower and dried himself with his towel. He hung the towel up on his rack when he was finished and made his way back into his bedroom, pulling out a pair of briefs and sliding them up his strong legs before he grabbed his work clothes from the built in wardrobe.
He opened the doors and felt a little odd to still see some of Seth's clothes hanging up there. He gulped down the lump in his throat, realizing that his now ex-boyfriend would have to come back and get the last of his possessions. He grabbed his shirt, pants, blazer and tie from the wardrobe before he slammed the door shut. He turned away from the wardrobe and pulled the pair of black dress pants on, fastening them before he pulled on his baby blue button up, long sleeved shirt.
He lay his blazer on the bed for a moment while he went to grab his belt and his pair of socks. He pulled both on and tucked his shirt into his pants before he picked up his blazer and phone and left the room. He made his way back downstairs and hung his blazer on the doorknob to the basement as he walked into the kitchen. The house was starting to feel colder and less inviting the longer he was in here by himself with just his thoughts.
He sighed as he walked over to the fridge, pulling out the packet of bacon and the crate of eggs that were sitting in there, waiting for him. He pulled a pan out from the cupboard next to the fridge and placed it on the hotplate on top of the oven. He opened the packet of the bacon and placed the strips neatly into the pan, waiting for the pan to heat up. He was so lost in his method of cooking that he hadn't heard the door creak open.
"Roman! What the fuck happened here man?!" Jey's booming voice called through the house. "And where are you?!"
"I'm in the kitchen! Be careful with the glass!" Roman called back.
Jey came around the corner of the hallway in only a matter of moments, a confused expression on his attractive face. "What in the hell happened out there?"
Roman took a deep breath before he answered. "I kicked Seth out last night and got drunk."
"You kicked Seth out?" Jey looked even more puzzled. "Why in the hell did you do that for?"
"He cheated on me, uce." Roman answered simply. "And not just once, multiple times over the past few months."
"Shit. Roman. I'm sorry dude." Jey walked over to where his cousin was standing and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't with that guy he works with, was it?"
"No." Roman said shortly. "It was with my boss." He paused for a moment. "And alleged friend."
Jey didn't say anything. He'd never seen his cousin quite like this before. He'd never seen him look so defeated and vulnerable. He'd help him in whatever way he could.
"I have to see my boss today too." Roman continued. "It's going to be hard to not knock him out. And wipe that smug grin off of his face."
"Uce, c'mon." Jey started. "You know you gotta do that sort of stuff away from prying eyes where you can't lose your job."
"It's going to be hard Jey. Dean was my friend. He has been my friend since college and he's done it to me again." Roman lamented. He picked up the tongs and flipped the bacon that was starting to crackle in the pan.
"That fucker has done it to you before?" Jey asked, giving him a disbelieving look.
"Yeah. Back in college." Roman murmured as he cracked four eggs into another frying pan.
"You need better friends Roman." Jey shook his head. "And better boyfriends for that matter." He watched Roman carefully, his own heart hurting to see that his cousin was just so sad right now. "Is this why you called me over? To talk?"
"Yes and no." Roman answered honestly. He started plating up their food onto the porcelain plates that Seth had insisted they buy when they moved in together, each individual piece costing him a fortune. He pulled out the sauce from the fridge and reached next to the fridge to turn the coffee machine on. "I have to leave for work real soon and I was hoping you could help me clean up."
"Wait." Jey started. "So you called me at six o'clock in the god damn morning to get me to come over to clean your house?"
"I'll pay you." Roman quickly said.
"How much you gonna pay me?" Jey grinned back at him as he started to shovel his bacon and eggs into his mouth.
"However much you want." Roman answered, seeing the way that Jey's eyes lit up. "As long as it is under $500."
"Alright. I'll do it." Jey agreed through a mouthful of breakfast. "But if I slice my hand on some of that glass and bleed out, that's on your head."
"It's a risk I'm willing to take." Roman laughed, grabbing the two mugs of freshly made coffee and placing one each in front of them.
Jey took a moment before he said his next words. He was trying to word them out in his mind before he spoke them. He let out a heavy sigh. "You're not going to get back with Seth after all this, are you?"
Roman looked at his cousin for a moment. He shook his head. "No." He said defiantly. "I can't take him back after what he's done to me."
"Do you still love him?" Jey asked carefully.
"Of course I still love him!" Roman snapped. "Up until yesterday, everything was fucking perfect! Up until yesterday, I was still with the love of my life!"
"You'll find someone better, Roman." Jey tried to assure him. "He wasn't worthy of you anyway if he's going to cheat on you."
Roman groaned loudly, finishing off the last of his coffee. He glanced down at his plate of food, his appetite suddenly disappeared as he thought of Seth. From the moment he'd first met Seth, he'd thought the younger man was the last man he'd ever fall for and up until yesterday that was still true. His heart hurt that he'd lost the love of his life to a friend. He didn't know if he could ever not love Seth but he could never forgive him either.
"I've got to go to work." Roman sighed heavily. "Do you want this?"
"Roman. You haven't eaten a thing." Jey pointed out. "Please eat something."
Roman looked down at the plate and picked up a piece of bacon, shoveling it into his mouth before he placed his plate in front of his cousin. He turned on his heel and quickly went upstairs to brush his teeth before he left. Once he reached the bathroom, he took a good look at his reflection. He still looked like shit but at least he looked a little bit better than before.
He finished brushing his teeth, rinsing his mouth out with some mouthwash before he pulled his hair back into a low ponytail. He left the bathroom and went straight to his bedroom where he retrieved a pair of socks. He could feel his heart racing in his chest. He knew that as soon as he got to work, he'd see Dean and he didn't know how the hell he was going to react. The thought made him very anxious and very nervous.
He walked out of his bedroom now that he had his socks on and headed back downstairs after he grabbed his briefcase. He saw Jey was standing in the doorway of the kitchen waiting for him. He smiled softly and walked over, hugging the other man who he could very happily call his best friend and brother. "Thank you." He murmured as he pulled back, forcing a smile at his cousin.
"It's what family's for, right?" Jey grinned. "Now don't do anything stupid at work today Roman."
Roman didn't say a word, merely smiled politely back before he walked over to the basement door and grabbed his suit jacket. He slid the expensive material over his broad shoulders. He waved off Jey before he headed to the front door with his briefcase. He narrowly avoided the glass that was scattered everywhere along the floor and pulled his shoes on before he headed out the door and walked over to his car, a heavy sigh leaving his lips as he sat on the expensive upholstery.
His car ride from his house to his work place was the longest and most soul destroying he'd ever experienced. His stomach was twisting in knots as he dreaded the confrontation with Dean that he knew was going to occur. He tried to calm himself down, the music from the radio some poppy bullshit that usually he would sing along to. But not today. He wasn't in the mood for that.
He turned his car into his usual spot, that worrying feeling in his stomach increasing sevenfold when he saw that Dean's car was already there. He slowly killed the ignition and pulled the key out of the slot, his heart racing as he slowly and steadily opened the passenger side door and stepped out. The cold breeze whipped around his face, numbing his face as he made his way into the store that he managed.
He pulled his keys out from his pocket and unlocked the side door that only the staff members used. He opened the door and stepped inside of the large store. His anxiety levels were so high right now, the feeling of being in an enclosed area with the man who ruined his livelihood was terrifying. He passed team members who were already working hard, ignoring their friendly 'good mornings'. He just wanted to get to his office, close the door and be done with it.
But that didn't happen. He'd barely made it up the stairs when he saw that smug, shit eating grin of Dean's beaming down at him. He couldn't take it. The anxiety he was feeling about being around Dean was quickly replaced with rage. His blood boiled with anger. His grey orbs watched the way that Dean turned away from him and headed back to his own office.
Roman couldn't contain himself another minute. He quickened his pace and easily closed the gap between them. Without even fully thinking his action through, he reached out and grabbed the collar of Dean's suit jacket. He heard the sounds that were spilling from the other man's lips and ignored them, dragging Dean slightly down the corridor, stopping when he reached his office. With an almighty shove, he pushed Dean into his office. Barely a few moments later, he was stepping into his own office, flicking on the light and slamming the door so hard behind him that the whole room shook from his force.
His grey eyes narrowed, his jaw tight. He carelessly tossed his briefcase across the room, not worried when it smacked hard against the wall. He took one step forward, closing the gap between them slightly. It gave him a sick sense of power watching Dean quiver and shake in nervous anticipation. "You piece of fucking shit." His words were calm but they were heavy with venom.
Dean, however, looked nonplussed. "Seth told you?"
"Yeah he fucking told me." Roman snapped. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't beat the living shit out of you right now."
"You really want to do it at work? And risk your job?" Dean asked. "I might deserve a punch in the face but you losing your job isn't what you deserve."
Roman's jaw was clenched tight. Dean was right. There was no point doing this here. The repercussions were too high to even contemplate doing it.
"Come back to my house and I'll tell you everything." Dean suggested.
"Let's go." Roman responded sharply.
Dean glanced over at him once, shrugging his shoulders before he crossed the room, opening the door and walking out, leading Roman out of the office. The pair were met with concerned eyes that he really didn't care too much for. The last thing that he wanted to do was to talk to people he found below him about issues that didn't concern them. He could hear Roman walking behind him, heard the light flick off and the door close as they headed downstairs and out of the store.
Roman didn't say a word. His fury was written all over his face. His jaw was tight, eyes narrowed into the back of Dean's head as they silently walked through the store. He could see the look of concern on his team member's faces as they walked. It was incredibly obvious that something had gone down between them, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. But this wasn't something he would ever discuss with his team members.
They walked back out through the staff entry door that led to the car park at the back of the store. Dean's black Bentley stood out a mile and they both walked over to it, a soft click of the button to unlock the doors was the only sound between them as they soundlessly slid into their respective seats. The mood between them was beyond uncomfortable.
Dean didn't even dare look over at his friend as he started up the ignition. The drive from their place of work to his house was short but that didn't ease the worrying tension that was building in his belly. He knew he was fucked right now. He could practically feel the rage that was radiating off of the Samoan man and it only increased his anxiety.
He didn't know what to feel when he pulled into his driveway. His heart was beating so hard it felt like it was about to burst right out of his chest. He turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car. He still didn't look over at Roman, he couldn't, but the sound of the older man's feet on the gravel indicated that Roman was right behind him. He walked up the stairs and unlocked the front door, leaving it open as he stepped inside. Moments later, he heard the door close with a sharp force.
"You're a fucking asshole." Roman snapped at him. He watched Dean turn around, blue eyes wide. "You're supposed to be my friend."
"I never intended for it to go so far." Dean tried to reason.
"Bullshit you didn't!" Roman responded sharply. "I bet from the moment you saw Seth, the first thought that came to mind was 'how can I get my dick inside of this one?'" His grey orbs were narrowed so far that his pupils were barely visible. "What is it about my boyfriends that makes you want to fuck them?"
Dean ran a hand through his hair. He let out a heavy sigh. "You don't want to know the truth."
"Don't tell me what I do and what I don't want." Roman snapped. "Tell me the fucking truth."
"You know what, you're right." Dean said carelessly. "The first time I saw Seth, I thought 'wow. This guy is pretty fucking hot. I'd like to have sex with him.'. And then I did everything in my power to get him to sleep with me." He paused for a moment, watching the way that Roman's fists were clenching. "He didn't want to at first but I talked him into it. I convinced him that what we were doing was fine."
Roman let out a heavy breath but couldn't say any words.
"I was the one that lured him over to my house and had sex with him the night that he never came home. I was the one that convinced him to stay the night so I could have him again in the morning. Because he was the best damn lay I've ever had." Dean continued. "What Seth did to you was wrong but it was all me. If I didn't pursue him, he would never have given in the way that he did."
Roman let out a light groan. "But why did you do it? Does our friendship mean nothing to you?"
"To be quite honest, the thought of you never crossed my mind." Dean answered truthfully. "I only thought about Seth and how badly I wanted him. Your feelings, your relationship never factored into it. I was only-"
Roman cut him off with a swing of his fist. He just couldn't take it anymore. The rage that was building up inside of him was too much. He'd already had his hand balled up into a fist before he'd swung it, the thud of his fist connecting with Dean's jaw so satisfying. He pulled his hand back and punched him one more time. "You're a fucking heartless jerk!" His voice was so loud, so angry. "You knew how much Seth fucking meant to me! You knew that I was going to marry him and you still fucked him anyway! You are the worst person I have ever met."
Dean staggered back. His hands immediately went to his jaw, holding it. His blue eyes were wide, shocked that Roman had actually hit him but also not that surprised. "I-I'm-"
"Don't you dare say that you're sorry!" Roman yelled at him. "Because if you actually were, you wouldn't have done this in the first place! You are a fucking piece of shit Dean! You deserve nothing and no one."
Dean nodded his head. He didn't have words to say right now. Sorry would never cut it as an apology. There was nothing he could say that would fix this. All because he was too selfish to get his own boyfriend had he ended up in this predicament. Although, he didn't know that if he had been true to himself that if Seth Rollins had crossed his path, he would have been able to resist him. He let out a frustrated sigh.
Roman had been watching the other man carefully. He'd watched the wave of emotions that had crossed Dean's face and suddenly it had all become clear. He suddenly let out a laugh. A short, bark like laugh that still held humour in it.
Dean's eyes narrowed. "What's so fucking funny?"
"You fell for Seth, didn't you?" Roman asked bluntly. Dean didn't even need to hear the answer to that question, the words were written all over his face. He let out another laugh. "The heartless fucking asshole has feelings for someone. Wow." He said sarcastically. "It's a shame that you are too fucking concerned with your image to actually act on those feelings. You're a fucking coward who will never get what you truly want if you keep hiding behind Nikki." He paused for a moment. "You know what, fucking take Seth. Go on, make him yours." He watched the look on Dean's face change. "But you're too much of a scaredy cat to get what you want. You will never know happiness the way that I did before you ripped it away unless you do what you want instead of what you deem right."
"I don't need your fucking advice Roman." Dean snapped.
"It's kinda funny that you fuck my boyfriend for months and here I am giving you advice on how to not be such a closeted gay." Roman responded sharply. "From here on out, I will only talk to you about business stuff. I don't want to talk to you about personal stuff. Just business. If I ever get another boyfriend, don't ever fucking talk to him or I will beat you so hard that you never walk again. You got off lucky today."
Dean nodded, still holding his jaw. His face literally stung with pain that he wasn't sure he got off lucky at all.
"We have to go back to work." Roman said sharply. "So toughen up and let's go."
TBC
A/N: Dean got off pretty lucky with that one, didn't he? Only a few chapters left. Looking forward to hearing what you guys thought. Thanks for reading and reviewing. GatesVengeance x