Nineteen

Roman kept tossing and turning.

Dean wrapped his arms around him, whispering comforting words in his ears. His boyfriend quietened down before rolling over; the Steel Hounds' lead singer spooned him.

"Dean…" he mumbled. "D-Dean…"

"Ssshhh… it's okay…" Dean whispered

It was as if he couldn't hear the words. "Don't go…"

Go? Go where? Dean wondered. "Roman…" he said softly. "Wake up." When Roman started thrashing about, he turned him about so that they were face to face. His lips pressed squarely on his boyfriend's mouth making the Samoan man slowly open his eyes. "Dean?"

"Yeah, it's me," he replied. "Bad dream?"

"Just about you heading on the road again."

Dean sighed. "I'm going to have to read that contract and find a loophole. Otherwise…"

"You'll go?"

"Just for a few months."

"A lot can change in a few months. You can't even stand to be far away from me."

"And you can?"

"No, of course not. I missed you like crazy when you were gone." Roman kept quiet. "If you do head back on the road, who's following you? Paul?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't think so. I'm not sure if Paul will have time."

"You can't tell me you'll have another manager. I mean will I even like this new manager?"

"Calm down there, big guy. I haven't even read the contract to find that damn loophole."

"Let me come with you."

"No, Roman. You know what it's like."

His boyfriend seemed undeterred. "Yes, I've seen what it's like but I'd like to think that it'd be different this time. I mean it's not like you're with your band again doing crazy things."

"You still have school too, Roman. Let's not forget your job."

"Are you trying to run away from me?"

Dean laughed. "Uh babe… this is me you're talking to. Me who hopped on that plane because I couldn't stand to be away from you for barely even a day."

"Then how are you going to survive on the road?"

He had Dean there. How could he stand being so far from Roman again?

His face must have shown how he felt because Roman snuggled against him. "See? I'm going if you can't find a loophole."

Dean sighed.

"You said you couldn't see the two of us apart…"

"I know." It was the first time he saw Roman distressed. The first two times he had left for travelling, he was a cool cat. This time, he seemed to be clutching at straws. "I'll read the contract tomorrow, alright?" he assured the grey eyed man.

He traced the bridge of Roman's nose to the tip of it before running his fingers through his black locks. Their eyes never left one another's, staring as if they were trying to read inner thoughts.

"Dean?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"I live my life for you."

Roman sat beside Dean at the dining table the next morning as his boyfriend read the contract. Two mugs of black coffee were on the table beside plates of their finished breakfast of grilled cheese. "How is it?" he asked. "Anything?"

"Nothing so far," he mulled. "I'm going to have to ask Paul to read through it for me."

"You do that."

His boyfriend's eyes fell on the clock. "Brock should be here soon." Dean kissed his bandaged spot again. "Don't go anywhere without him, okay?"

"Okay."

"I mean it, Roman."

"I will not." He sneaked a glance at a worried looking Dean. "I'll be fine."

"I know. With Brock around, I have nothing to fear."

Dean kissed him before he left the house. Roman opened his laptop and found that he had notifications on his Twitter account. He clicked on it and to his horror, found a series of tweets:

romanreigns, you're not worthy of him! I hope he dumps you soon!

I hope someone takes out romanreigns. I hate him!

You're just a pretty boy with no brains. Go kill yourself romanreigns.

There were many more and Roman couldn't bear to finish reading it. He shut his computer off. Dean's fans were starting to scare him. There was a knock on the door. The Samoan man woke up and walked slowly to it, using the peephole and found Brock standing outside.

"Hi Brock," he greeted him as he opened the door. "Thank you for doing this."

"No mention, Roman," the bodyguard said. "What's your schedule like today?"

"Just work from ten to six."

"Then I'll be there by five thirty to pick you up."

Roman waited by the door as Brock did a quick sweep of the place before locking it up. He followed behind him to his silver Toyota Avalon. "I've never seen so much hatred before," the grey eyed man confided quietly. "I don't know what to do."

"Don't worry," Brock comforted him. "We'll figure something out."

When they reached Javawocky, the bodyguard walked him to the door. Roman nodded at him before going inside where Randy was looking at him, arms crossed. "Let me guess. Those fans."

"They roughed me up and have started harassing me on Twitter," he related, filling his boss in. "There was even a death threat."

"What?!"

The phone rang then. It was Dean who wanted to know his location. "I'm at work now," Roman informed his boyfriend. "Brock sent me to the door."

"Listen, I don't feel too good. I'm checking out today."

"What? Dean, no!" he protested. "Brock will be picking me up later."

"Still…"

"I'll be fine. Just focus on getting well."

Dean reluctantly agreed before promising to call him during lunch. Roman concentrated on his work and serving customers. Thankfully, there were no obsessive fans dining in today. Randy let him off for lunch earlier so he decided to head to the deli across the road for some smoked salmon salad.

As he was about to enter the store, he was grabbed and shoved against a wall. A man with brown eyes wearing a mask covering his nose and mouth held a gun to his face. "This is your warning, Reigns! Leave Dean alone!" he threatened him with a gruff voice.

His heart pounded furiously. A gun! Now they were threatening him with a gun!

The man pushed him to the ground before scurrying off. Roman stood up gingerly, in shock. His cellphone started ringing. Without thinking, he slid his finger over the green icon. "H-hello," he stammered.

"Roman?" Dean replied. "Are you okay, babe?"

"D-Dean… Dean-"

"Fuck. Where are you?"

"Outside Sam's Deli."

"I'll be right there. Stay inside the shop, you hear me?"

"O-okay."

Sam's Deli wasn't crowded so Roman managed to order the salad he wanted and a bottle of Dasani water before sitting in a corner booth. He chewed his food slowly, eyes darting about nervously at anyone that walked in the place.

What was he supposed to do now? Break up with Dean for real? But he loved him. It wasn't fair that he couldn't be with him because a bunch of fans were living in a delusional world.

It didn't take long for Dean to reach and he immediately strode towards him. "Roman," he said quietly, sitting down next to him and putting an arm around his waist. "What happened?"

He stared at his boyfriend. "They pulled a gun on me, Dean. Well… he. He threatened me to leave you alone. What do we do? Do we break up? I mean-"

"No, we don't," his rock star boyfriend replied. "We're not bending over to their demands."

"But-"

"I'll have to hire someone to watch over you during your working hours. Then I'll pick you up myself."

"But-"

"No buts. I called Brock and he's on his way over. I'll have to talk to Paul on how to approach this. You stick to Brock for the time being." He kissed Roman on his lips. "Eat your meal."

"Dean, I can't. I think we should-"

"No!"

"But it's my life, Dean. You have to let me go."

"Fuck, Roman. Are you kidding me? I'm not letting you go."

"So my safety means nothing to you?"

"Of course it does." Dean took a deep breath. "Roman, you're in shock. Please. Trust me-"

Roman stood up. "No!" Who knew where these fans would turn up next. He quickly left the deli, determined to head back home but Dean was hot on his heels. "Roman!" his boyfriend pleaded. "You're not thinking clearly."

"Leave me alone, Dean!" But Dean wouldn't be deterred. He practically pulled Roman into his car and locked the doors. "Let me out; let me go!" he demanded as he tried to open it.

"Never!" Dean yelled and shook him. "Look, Roman. I know you're scared but I'll work something out. You have to trust me!"

"No!"

"Why do you keep saying that?"

He stopped pulling at the handle when he heard the distress in Dean's voice. His boyfriend pulled him into his arms, dropping kisses on his forehead. He trembled. Today was just a warning; tomorrow it'd be a real deal.

"Please, Roman," Dean whispered. "I'll keep you safe. I promise."

There was a knock on their window. Brock was standing there with his arms crossed. Dean opened the door on Roman's side. "Paul's in the car."

"Go," the auburn haired man told him. "Paul and Brock will accompany you till I'm back."

For how long? For how long till some fan manages to get him and then…

"Roman, you better be home when I get back."

He merely nodded, his mind still in a frenzy.

Dean watched Brock walk beside a shivering Roman. Paul had sent him a text, promising to bring him to the police station to make a report.

He thanked his manager once more before driving back to the rehab centre. That was a close one. Any more threats and Dean had no doubt that his boyfriend would really break up with him. He had to come up with a plan but what?

Move house? Would Roman be okay moving to Beverly Hills? His life was here: school, work...

Upon reaching the centre, Dean went to the garden and took out his cellphone, logging into his Facebook account. He searched for some random celebrity site and found a picture of him pressing his lips on Roman's, smiling happily.

Some of the comments were unnerving:

WHO THE FUCK IS HE? I WILL CUT HIS DICK, THAT SON OF A BITCH!

DEAN IS MINE!

Dean can do so much better!

He muttered curses under his breath and closed the app.

There was a text message from Paul a second later. Roman had asked to go to the gents at the station but he hadn't returned back so Brock went to check on him; he was gone!

Dean's heart sank. Where was he? He immediately called him but it led him to his voicemail.

He sprinted back to his car and immediately drove home.

Roman was packing his things in a hurry.

"Is this how we deal with things, Roman?" he asked, disappointment seeping through his voice. "After all we've been through, you don't even have the courtesy to tell me goodbye to my face?"

His boyfriend froze.

"You can't even trust me when I tell you that I'll make sure you're safe?"

"You weren't there," Roman choked, still not turning around to face him. "There are death threats. These people want me dead."

"I can't let you leave, Roman. You mean too much to me."

"Then you're just as selfish as your fans."

Dean was taken aback. Take it easy, he told himself. He's still frightened. "I have to be selfish when it comes to you. You're my heart, my blood and my passion. You leave me and I don't want to even think what will become of me."

"That's threatening!"

This was starting to worry him now. "Roman, I meant it in a way that-"

"I'm not responsible for how you feel, Dean!"

"You're right. And you know what, neither are those fans responsible for how you feel. Or how I feel for that matter."

Roman was staring at him. "Are you kidding me? I just had a gun pointed at me, Dean! I've had things thrown at me as well. You ever had that happen to you? I don't think so!"

"So you think you leaving me is going to solve the problem?" Dean pressed. "How much can you guarantee me that those fans won't go after you even when we part? How much, Roman?! Go back to the station and make that report and after that we'll figure out a plan. But don't you tell me that you're throwing in the towel!"

His boyfriend was still shaking his head. A voice in his head reprimanded him for being impatient. Roman was just a regular man. He was never exposed to situations like these before being with him.

"How can you leave-" Paul shouted behind Dean but the Steel Hounds' lead singer put a hand up to ask his manager to keep quiet. "Dean…"

"Let him go, Paul," Dean replied.

"But-"

"Just let him go."

"That's it?!"

Dean said nothing as his eyes met Roman's. "Since I was the one who brought this upon you, then at least let me pay for your next apartment. It's the least I can do."

"This is stupid!" Paul screeched at him. "How can you just let him walk out of your life?"

"He's scared, Paul. Nothing I can say is placating him or even giving comfort. If he thinks this is the best way, then I have no other choice!"

"Dean-"

"Let. Him. Be."

His manager huffed. "You'll regret this, Dean."

"Maybe," he allowed.

"At least remain friends. Don't cut things off like this."

Friends? How could Dean remain friends with Roman and not want to kiss him and hold him and…

"I have an apartment that I'm not staying in," Paul offered. "It's yours if you want it."

"S-Sure."

"Brilliant."

Dean walked out of the room, wondering what his manager was up to. He knew Paul for a long time to know he had a hidden motive. He sat in the living room, staring at the television blankly. There was no way he was going to push Roman.

Paul came down a while later. "I gave him the key."

"What are you up to?" he asked tiredly.

"I'm not going to let him make a dumb decision to let you go because of a stupid fan-"

"Fans."

"Whatever."

"Paul, he's terrified. There's no reasoning with him."

"Give him some time to calm down. That's a nice apartment I gave him, by the way. It's got a jacuzzi in the bathroom where he can entertain his special friend-"

Dean's heart ached.

"I'm joking, of course," Paul assured him, sitting down. "You know he'll be missing you too. But that's how I sold it to him. Told him that it'd come in handy for his new lover. If anything, he looked aghast that I suggested that." His manager glanced at his watch. "I should go now. Brock and I are meeting the police to discuss this whole situation."

"Okay."

"I'll call you tomorrow. Everything will be fine."

Dean walked Paul to the door before sitting down on the couch again. He channel surfed before settling on a documentary on World War Two. About ten minutes in, Roman hadn't come down yet so he went to check on him.

His boyfriend was asleep on the bed, his bag half empty. Dean laid down beside him, his arms around his waist. "Dean?" Roman mumbled.

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared."

"Me too. But I'm scared for another reason: I'm scared of losing you."

"I feel the same." He snuggled closer. "But I'm not going to let them win."

"Me neither." He kissed Roman softly on his forehead.

A/N Thank you for the favorites, follows and kind reviews. :-) Hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas!