Fourteen
"I cannot tell you how happy I am that you've changed your mind!"
Dean allowed Antonio to pull him into a hug in his office. "I'm sure you're thrilled," he replied dryly.
"But of course! In fact thrilled doesn't even describe it."
"Look, Antonio-"
"Actually it's Cesaro now."
Dean rolled his eyes. "Right, Cesaro. What are your plans for me?"
"Honestly, I'd like to send you on a small tour around the country while you finish up your songwriting. Then I hope to record you in the studio once music arrangements have been made." Cesaro gave him a look over. "You've become hotter."
"I look the same. Open your eyes."
"Oh I have."
He snapped his fingers in front of his ex boyfriend's face. "When's our tour?"
"Well…"
"The sooner, the better. Make it happen." He took his luggage. "I'm heading out to Beverly Hills. You have my new number."
"Yep. I'll furnish you with the details soon. Have a safe trip back home."
Dean merely nodded before leaving the office.
No.
It wasn't home.
Home was with Roman but he didn't have that anymore when he made that hard decision.
He'd never have it that way with anyone the way he did with the grey eyed man but he'd have to learn to live with that.
His mansion was worth every penny he invested in, he thought when he reached back. He made a mental note to thank Paul for ensuring that the house had been up kept.
Unzipping his luggage, he took out some awards he had won and placed it aside. After unpacking, he'd have to go grocery shopping to stock up the fridge…
Calling the cable and the electricity company to switch on their services before he grabbed his car keys, he looked around the house and felt a sense of loneliness overwhelm him.
There was an upscale organic mart close to where he lived called Finest. Dean grabbed a basket and filled it with apples, bananas, bottled water, green tea (mostly because it reminded him of Roman), hand and shower soap, strawberries, whipped cream and some cold cuts with dairy products.
Once back home, he put away the products before lying down in his bed to take a nap. Bad idea because it only made him miss Roman more.
Made him wish he was right there holding him.
Stop it, he chided himself. Focus on moving on.
"I can't lose him, Corey," Roman said as he sat in the rhythm guitarist's hotel room. "I can't lose him. Losing him is worse than losing my father. I don't care what he says in that letter!"
The tattooed man nodded. "I'm way ahead of you, Roman. I've asked Paul and Brock for help. They'll be there to intervene. He's not going anywhere far. Just give me five more minutes to finish packing."
Roman ran a hand through his hair and accepted the glass of water from Seth who had already packed his things. "Why would he do this?" he asked.
"He was thinking of you," the two toned man explained. "I think he feels guilty after what your father told him and the things that followed after their confrontation. Your dad told the nurse to ask him to leave the room…"
"So he thinks he's the reason for it?"
"I mean yeah. From what he told Corey, your sister told him the same thing too. I honestly think he has his heart in the right place for this. Maybe it's better to let things cool down for a bit-"
"No!" Roman stood up. "I'm not going to let that happen. Dean will only keep running and I'll never be able to get to him. It's bad enough that his drinking has gotten progressively worse. Who knows what will happen to him out there!"
"Relax," Seth said. "Look, we'll find him, okay?"
Corey came back into the room. "Dean's plane had touched down but he didn't come home."
"Maybe he stopped by a store or something. Or maybe he took a different flight."
"That could be it."
Roman took out his phone and tried calling Dean but the recording informed him that the number was no longer in use. His heart broke and he started sobbing, the stress of the day getting to him.
Dean had really cut all ties with him.
"Hey," Corey sat down beside him. "It'll be okay. You've got all of us looking out for him: Brock, Jeff, Matt, Paul, Seth and me. I've asked Paul to speak to Antonio too. He can't go too far."
He sipped his Jack Daniel's while watching a football game on television after his nap. There was a knock on the door before he woke up from his nap.
Cesaro was standing there with a smile. "Great news!" he shared, walking in. "I can have you back on the road from Thursday."
"That's two days away," he replied. "Great job."
"I brought champagne." He held up a bottle of Moet & Chandon Brut Champagne. "Let's celebrate."
"Celebrate what?"
"Celebrate you being in my company. You being a solo artist. So many reasons."
Dean gave him a skeptical look. "And you're sure that you're not trying to get into my pants."
Cesaro laughed. "You caught me."
"No."
"Why not? I thought you were done for with that Hawaiian guy."
"Samoan actually and yes. I'm done with him. I'm not ready to jump into anything with anyone yet."
"It's just sex, Dean, not a marriage proposal."
"Same thing. I love him."
"Don't you mean loved?"
"I still do. I probably always will."
"That's going to be one lonely dick for the next fifty years."
He rolled his eyes. "Out! Thank you for your help but I need to get some sleep now."
"It's only nine!"
Dean blew him a kiss.
Roman had been pacing back and forth in the hotel room when Core came out from the bathroom excitedly.
"Okay," the tattooed man updated. "He's in Beverly Hills. Paul is actually on his way there. I've already booked us a flight. We can be there by morning."
Relief washed over him. He had been so afraid he wouldn't have been able to find Dean… that he'd lost him forever.
"Thank you, Corey," he said. "Tell me what I can do to repay-"
"No, Roman. You don't have to. You make Dean happy and that's enough for me. There's no way he's getting away from you so easily."
Dean woke up to the sound of the television. Odd, he thought. He could have sworn he had switched it off.
His eyes flew on the clock. Four.
Grabbing a baseball bat, he walked down the stairs, trying his best not to make a sound as he made his way into the living room.
He'd hit that son of a bitch good.
It was a good thing he hadn't swung his bat when he saw the back of Paul's head. "Paul?"
His manager turned around, beaming. "Hey."
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh I heard that your neighbor was being a nuisance so I dropped by to see if the place was in order," his manager replied.
"That's kind of you," Dean said as he placed the baseball bat aside.
He left Paul to grab him a can of iced tea. "Thank you," Paul said. "So how's Roman?"
"I uh… I left him."
"Like you left him in Florida?"
"No. I left him. Like we're over."
"What happened for you to just make such a rash decision?"
"It isn't rash." He then related to Paul about what happened during their stay here. "So here I am."
"Dean, I'm not sure you're doing the right thing."
"Paul, I don't think you understand that this is the right thing."
"Your boyfriend's grieving, Dean. He needs you by his side. Never mind his family; he'll get over their disapproval. I'm sure of it."
"Are you kidding me? Haven't you been listening to a word I've said?"
"I've heard you loud and clear. Are you listening to what you're saying? How can you leave behind this man who loves you just as much, Dean? His father may have reacted that way but it's bigger than that. How will breaking up with him help you both?"
"Well, it'll get his family off his back."
"But he'll be hurt that he lost you. This is not something that he'd shrug off and go on with life. This is something he'll be wondering is also his fault, Dean. And if you think he won't notice that you're gone, I've got news for you: he will."
Dean shook his head. "Not going to work, Paul. I'm not falling for it."
"Falling for what?" his manager asked.
"I'm not running back to him."
"Dean, I've got to be honest with you. There's no one better for you than Roman. Everyone knows that he's made you very happy. This is a rough patch but you both can make it through-"
He did not need this. "Fuck. I need a drink." Dean was about to walk out of the door when Brock blocked his way. "What the hell? Brock, get out of my way!"
His bodyguard stalked towards him and Dean found himself walking backwards.
"Sorry, Dean," Paul said. "We love you too much to let you throw away a good thing. We get that your heart was in the right place but sometimes you need a reminder."
"I'm to be held captive in my own house?"
"More or less, yes."
"That's not going to happen-"
Brock pushed him down on the couch. "Sit down and shut up!"
Dean stood up and stared up at him defiantly. "That ain't going to happen."
"I knew you'd be stubborn."
"Brock," Paul said. "I thought we agreed not to resort to violence…"
"Violence?" Dean laughed. "Try it, big guy. I dare you."
Brock laughed in his face. "You asked for it." He felt a forceful jab at his collarbone before darkness overcame him.
When Dean woke up next, he found Roman looking over him with concern. What the-
He tried to wake up but he was pushed down gently. "Rest first. Are you still feeling drowsy?" Roman asked.
"Fuck!" Dean pushed Roman's hand aside and tried to crawl out of bed. Tried because he was easily thrown back into it by the Samoan man. "Get your hands off me, Roman!"
"Now it's get my hands off you?" His ex boyfriend sounded hurt. "I flew all the way here to bring you home."
"This is my home."
"No, it's not. Dean, I understand why you did it. I'm not angry or upset. I just want you to come back. I've told you before wherever you are, as long as we're together, it feels like home."
It took all of him not to reach for Roman's hand. "Well, you're too late. I've already slept with someone else."
"Stop lying, Dean. I think you forgot how well I know you."
"Leave me alone, Roman." What was he doing here? He was supposed to reconciling with his family. Dean lied down. "The door is that way."
He felt a weight beside him before a body pressed against his back, an arm over his waist and leg wedged in between his.
"Roman Joseph Reigns, go back to Pensacola."
"No," he replied. Dean could tell he was holding back tears. "I love you, Dean."
Didn't he get it? What part of that damn letter was so difficult to understand? "You can love me all you want but nothing is happening between us."
Roman moved away from him. "I can't believe that after I lost my father, I've lost my boyfriend too. Maybe the problem is me. I'm the reason for all this."
Dean could not bear hearing him like that, his resolve melting. He rolled him over and wiped his stray tears. They stared at each other for a while before Roman pulled him closer and kissed him tenderly.
And that's when the Steel Hounds' lead singer knew he had lost the battle.
He peppered soft kisses on Roman's face, concentrating on his closed eyes and where those tears had been.
"Let's go home," Roman said softly.
No other words were needed. Dean looked at him, pushing some of his raven locks back. "Yeah."
Roman enjoyed eating the strawberries while making pancakes for Dean before their late evening flight home.
Corey and Seth had decided to take an earlier flight home and Paul and Brock had gone out shopping.
They'd be taking the same flight as Dean and him.
"Babe, we can always order take out," his boyfriend said, walking in.
"We still have lots of time. Besides I miss doing things like this for you."
Dean switched on the kettle and leaned against the counter. "Does your family know what happened-"
"I took my bags and just left. I didn't tell them a thing." He was staring at Dean when he noticed something new.
"What?" his boyfriend asked nervously.
"I just realised you grew out your beard. I mean with everything that happened between my dad's passing and now… I just realised."
Dean scratched his bearded chin. "Yeah I uh wasn't in the mood to shave."
He honestly loved the look on him. Dean looked even more sexy with it. "Keep it for a while?"
"For you… anything."
They ate pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream with tea for their late meal. Dean told about approaching Antonio or Cesaro as he wanted to be called about the solo artist thing.
"Does he know you're going back?" Roman asked.
Dean nodded. "He does. Turns out he lied about it. Paul asked him to. Can you believe that?"
Roman hid a smile. "No."
"These are delicious." Dean poured more whipped cream on top of the pancakes.
"Were you looking forward to it?"
"It was just a means to escape."
Later that evening, Dean and him made sure the house was in order. Brock insisted on doing a sweep of the place before they locked it up.
If his boyfriend was angry with his bodyguard, he didn't say a word. Maybe because, just like Roman himself, he was feeling peace within.
While waiting for their flight, he received a text message from his mother: she wanted to come over for a visit.
Roman didn't know what to make of it or how to tell Dean. "What's wrong?" his boyfriend asked. "I recognise that look."
"My mum's coming over for a visit tomorrow," he admitted.
"Good. I have things to say."
Roman couldn't blame him. Truthfully he had things to say too.
A/N I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Roman and Dean belong together. Expect tension in the next one. A huge thank you for your reviews, favorites and follows. Honestly words won't do my gratitude justice. :-) June, this chapter's for you!