Roman wished he had different clothes to change into for this "date." Something a little nicer than an open-collar black shirt with slacks to match and his jacket. A nice outfit for any formal occasion, but the shirt was stained at this point and reeked of coffee beans and sweat. But he didn't want to drive all the way home just to change, so he accepted how he looked. He freed his mane of its hold in a hair tie, shaking it loose. It made him feel a bit nicer.
Dean rode shotgun again and guided him to a breakfast diner called the Wayside Cafe. According to the store hours painted in yellow on the front window, the place was open until two in the morning. Roman realized once inside he and Dean were the only customers crazy enough to visit the diner so late at night, and in this terrible weather no less.
He liked it.
A cute hostess, hair pulled into a high ponytail, practically skipped towards Dean. "Well, look who's back!" she greeted. "We've missed you around here."
"Sorry, sweetheart. Been a little busy as of latterly."
"Shoot, that's a bad excuse." She swatted his arm playfully. Her sparkling chocolate-brown eyes contemplated Roman's existence. "And who's this?"
"This is Roman. We're painting the town red tonight. Roman, this is my girl Naomi."
His girl?
"He wishes," Naomi stated, hand on her hip, smacking her lips. "Hi, Roman. It's very nice to meet you."
"Pleasure," Roman said, shaking her hand delicately. Her nails were almost as long as her fingers. He hoped he wouldn't have to sit here all night listening to them play cute with one another. Am I seriously jealous? Seriously?
"Who's in tonight?" Dean asked.
"Just me, and Zack in the kitchen."
"Ooh. Sorry to be a cock-block here tonight."
Naomi laughed thunderously. "Let me show you guys to a table," she said through her chuckling.
She led them to a booth near the back. Roman's phone buzzed in his pocket. He drew it out to turn the vibrate off. It was a message from Randy. My boy, where u at? Bella twins over again. Double trouble!
He returned the phone to his pocket, feeling the napkin with his partial song scribbled on it crinkling against the force.
"And what can I get you boys to drink?" Naomi asked, placing two menus in front of them.
"Got any Patrón?" Dean queried.
"Shit yeah, but not for you, Ambrose. Don't want another Cowboys incident."
Dean snickered. Cowboys incident? With Naomi? This guy had quite the history. But perhaps that served as a point tonight. First dates were usually a get-to-know-you routine. Dean was an enigma, a gift, and Roman wanted to take his time opening him up.
"I'll just take a water, sweetheart."
"And for you?" Naomi asked Roman.
"Water's fine. Could I get a coffee too, please?"
"Addict," Dean accused.
"Any cream or sugar?"
"Black is fine, thanks."
"You've got it."
Dean made a face. "Ew. You drink it straight black? That's like getting popcorn with no butter or salt."
"Guess you wouldn't understand. Your precious mocha is about four-hundred and fifty calories and fifty-six grams of sugar. Not counting all the extra caramel you add."
Dean smirked sheepishly. "Told you. It's a weakness."
Roman's lips twisted into a helpless smile. Everything about him was so damn charming.
Naomi returned with the drinks before Roman could even crack the menu open. "You know what you guys want?"
"Yeah, if we could go ahead and split the breakfast sampler platter?" He looked to Roman and said, "Covers the bases for all your breakfast needs. Don't worry. It's delicious."
"I trust you," Roman said.
"One breakfast platter coming right up." Naomi didn't fail to touch Dean's arm—bare since the ditz didn't have a coat with him—before walking away.
"She seems nice," Roman said, blinking away the jealous blaze.
"Oh, yeah, she's incredible. I met her about the same time I met Seth, right after I moved here."
"How long have you lived here?" Roman asked, tearing through one thin layer of wrapping paper.
Dean's cheeks puffed with air as he pondered the answer. "About a year now. More or less. Used to visit all the time, when my brother was attending the Air Force Academy. Fell in love with it. In spite of its crazy weather."
"And crazy drivers," Roman added.
"Why do you think I walk everywhere?"
"Seems safer to drive among crazy drivers than to walk among them."
Dean grabbed a jelly packet from the little metal rack and peeled back the plastic top. "I'm kind of a danger junkie."
"I've noticed. How did you meet Seth?"
"Let's talk about you." He scooped a glob of jelly onto two fingers and spooned the sweet chunk into his mouth. Roman shouldn't have found the behavior as quirky and amusing as he did. "What are you studying in college?" he questioned before swallowing, then helping himself to another scoop.
"Health Sciences."
"Oh, that's cool." Dean finished off one packet and reached for another. Maybe it was a bit juvenile, perhaps outlandish. But it was so…so…Dean. "So, you gonna be a doctor, or what?"
Roman was being unwrapped as well. He was still adjusting to the strange concept of someone's interest in him. "My concentration's in therapy and rehab."
"Ah. So if dumbasses like me get fucked up in a street fight or something, I can go to you, and you'll make me all better."
"Essentially."
Dean licked his fingers clean of jelly. Roman broke into a chuckle.
"What?" Dean asked.
"I get it now. Caramel isn't your weakness, it's sweets in general."
"Guilty." He smirked. "Does it bug you?" He must have been referring to the raw jelly consumption.
"Nah. Don't know why it would."
"Oh, good. I was scared of making a bad first impression." Dean shoved the empty packets to the edge of the table for Naomi to collect.
"You've done really well in that area so far."
"So it's about time for me to ruin it, right? Show you the real me so you still have a chance to walk away?"
"I'm not interested in walking away." He mustered just enough strength to admit, "I want to keep moving forward."
Dean pursed his lips. Oh, shit. Roman knew that look. He tensed up, ready for the blow.
"Roman, I'm a—"
"Okay, one breakfast platter," Naomi said, right on cue to disrupt their moment, as uneasy as it had felt. "I went ahead and divided it up onto two plates, since everything comes in twos with this one."
"Thanks, Naomi." Something in his tone was different. What was wrong? Had Roman crossed a line? This was over before anything really began. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
"Can I bring you guys anything else?" she asked. She was too friendly. Only a character flaw in a moment like this one.
"I think we're good," Dean said, looking to Roman for confirmation.
"Yeah," Roman concurred. "Thanks."
Naomi eyed the jelly packets and gave Dean a look. "You're so weird!"
"Tell me something I don't know."
Naomi walked away instead of taking Dean up on the dare.
"You were saying?" Roman asked just as Dean lifted a thin piece of bacon to his mouth. He didn't want to hear it, yet he did, all at once. Here it comes.
Dean temporarily lowered the bacon. "I'm a weird guy, Ro." He tapped his chest with his strong fingers. "Beneath this somewhat-appealing exterior is a world of whack. In here," he said, pressing his fingers to his forehead. "A conundrum. I'm not a book you can flip through and figure out completely. Hell, I don't even know what I'm thinking half the time."
Roman bit the inside of his cheek. What was his point?
"See…" Dean pressed his palms together and moved his hands from fingers pointing towards Roman, towards the ceiling, and back again. "You're the type of guy that someone like me—or anyone, really—could take an interest in. College student. Working part-time. Likes comics and rock music and Halo. Me, on the other hand? Not so much."
Roman scoffed. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm kind of a freak, in case you haven't noticed? Anyone who cares to get to know me finds out pretty fast that I'm not like most people, if anyone else in the world. They don't like to be around someone who doesn't even know what's going on in his own head." Dean sighed, picking up the bacon again. "Just saying, it's not too late if you wanna skip out on whatever it is we've got going on right now. I think you're great. You are worthy of someone's interest. I'm just an oddity." He chomped down on the bacon with a crunch.
Roman reached across the table and took Dean's left hand in his own. He didn't miss the small smile on Dean's face. His heart was about to rupture. He wasn't usually the one to take initiative like this. Not with others.
"I am very much interested in you."
"Don't get to hear that very often. Could you say it again?"
Roman strengthened his hold on Dean's hand. "I'm interested in you. As a person, as a friend, as…" He didn't want to use any other words, any more fervid words that pertained to a relationship beyond that of a friendship. "If you're worried about freaking me out, don't be. It really takes a lot to rattle me. If you wanna take this, whatever this is, slow—if that'll make you feel better—then I'm all for it."
Dean popped another piece of bacon into his mouth with his free hand. "That is nice to hear. Eat your eggs. They taste like ass when they're cold."
Roman had to let go of Dean's hand to eat. But he felt good. Really, really good. He'd just torn a thick piece of wrapping paper off his gift.
He was looking forward to opening the whole thing.
Two muscular men, especially one as buff as Roman, tended to be naturally quick eaters. Dean shoved an empty plate away just minutes after diving into the meal. "God, that was good," he sighed. "What'd you think?"
"I think I'd order another one if we weren't about to get booted," Roman said.
"Is it two already?"
"Almost."
Dean snapped his fingers. Who did that anymore? "Shoot."
"How was everything?" Naomi asked, making another appearance.
"Horrible. Godawful. I wanna talk to your manager. I wanna call corporate," Dean said.
"You're an ass."
"Yeah, and butter's in the dairy family. Welcome to life."
Naomi laughed loudly again.
"Let me get it," Roman said as Dean reached for his wallet to pay the bill. The guy had paid twenty bucks for some muffins and a mocha tonight. It was time to play gentleman.
"Really? You're sure?"
"Otherwise I wouldn't have offered."
"Look at you, being all sweet. You must be acing that Kindness course."
"I'm pulling through with a solid C+. It's a prerequisite for Altruism 202, so passing is kind of a big deal."
Roman waited while Naomi gave Dean a tight goodbye hug.
"Don't be a stranger, okay?" she requested. "Come back and see us again soon."
"I'll try."
"It was really nice to meet you, Roman." She surprised him with a hug of his own. She smelled of flowers and vanilla. "You come on back too, okay?"
"Sure," Roman said. He felt bad for feeling so envious and spiteful towards her before.
Dean shivered and howled when they got outside. "Woo! Hello, Colorado!"
"For the love of God, here." Roman slipped out of his jacket and draped it over Dean's shoulders. He seemed stunned, his actions suddenly slowing.
"What about you?"
"I've got around two-hundred pounds of muscle to keep me warm."
"Thanks, Ro."
Roman adored that little nickname. He wished he had one for Dean. But how could he further shorten a one-syllable name?
The ride back was slow and steady. Weather conditions weren't improving or worsening at this point. His car rolled slowly over the slick streets. A Cream song called "Sunshine of Your Love" soundtracked the drive in ironic fashion. Roman had to turn the radio down when Dean's phone rang. Who could be calling him so late?
"Hey, Seth."
Ah.
"No, I'm on my way home now. No, I'm with Roman. Took him to Wayside. Well, he took me, I guess." Long pause. Roman caught an eye roll. "Yeah, because the Wyatts love hanging around cute little breakfast diners, Seth. No, I'm fine. I'll be home in a few, okay? Bye."
Unfortunately Dean didn't live far from Wayside.
"I love Seth more than anyone, but he's so paranoid."
Me and Seth are in the same boat. "I'm sure he just cares about you a lot. With someone like Bray Wyatt in your life, I don't blame him."
"He means well. But I'm not a kid. Y'know?"
"I do know."
Dean turned the music back up, keeping the beat on his knees.
"Final destination," Roman said, pulling into his apartment complex. "All passengers must exit."
"Walk me to the door?"
"Sure, I'd love to."
Dean grabbed Annie out of the trunk and carried her up the flight of frozen concrete stairs. Before reaching for his key, he slowly lowered the guitar case to the ground and wrapped his arms around Roman's neck. Roman hugged him back, holding him tight.
"Thanks for being there," Dean said.
"Anytime. I mean that."
Dean released him. "Guess I'll see you around?"
"I'll be around."
"Good night, Superman."
"Night, Dean."
The door opened before Dean could unlock it. Seth stood there, ushering Dean inside. "Hey."
"Hey."
"Glad you made it safe."
"Yeah, yeah," Dean said, moving past Seth in the doorway. Seth looked up at Roman. His look was so uncertain. Was he disappointed to see Roman again, or could he have cared less?
"Thanks for driving him. Guy needs a car, I keep telling him."
"It's no problem. 'Night."
Roman trailed back to his car. He touched his pocket, where his unfinished song awaited him. He had some ideas on how to finish it.