Ten

"Why are you always so cheerful?" Dean asked as he laced his boots while Roman tied his hair into a simple ponytail the next morning.

Roman cocked his head. "Cheerful?"

"Yeah. You're always sunny and smiling. What's your secret?"

Truth time.

"I was ill," the Samoan man revealed. "About four years ago."

"Ill? Did you have something critical?"

"Hodgkin's lymphoma. It changed my attitude towards life. I was always a generally happy person but since I recovered, I learnt not to take things for granted."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Roman smiled as he held Dean's hand. "It's nothing to be sorry about. I mean it happened for a reason. I recovered too."

"Can it come back again?"

"Well, I got treated at stage two so that's like ninety percent survival for five years and more. The doctor did said that if it comes back again, it can still be treated."

"Here's hoping it doesn't."

Roman nodded. "So are you going to tell me where you're bringing me?"

"Nah." Dean smiled impishly. "It's a surprise."

"I love surprises."

"I don't. I just thought that it'd be fun to have you guessing."

"Oh?"

"First I'm going to need to stop by the convenience store to get some bottled water. Preferably a whole box."

Dean held his breath when he brought Roman to the abandoned elementary school that had longed been neglected.

"It's not about what I learnt here," he quickly informed Roman as they walked down the sheltered walkway leading to his sacred place. "It's a special place to me."

"I'm sure I'll love it."

Dean held back a smile; of course he would. As they approached the small garden, he felt proud of himself.

He had never brought anyone here before.

"Wow," Roman breathed at the sight of it. "Dean…"

The bushes had been tended to and the grass trimmed; there were daisies bloomed already along with some pansies as well. The pond still needed some more work - he'd have to search for a professional - but it was an improvement compared to the state he had found it in before.

"I used to come here to think," Dean shared. "When I was a kid. It's a special place to me because there'd be no one here; the other kids were far too busy playing on the field. But this place with the peaceful surroundings was my haven. The school shut down not long after I went to high school so the day I got my job at the garage, I came here and found it neglected."

"Because the school had shut down."

"Yeah. Vandals broke into it though and that was how I was able to get in. There were lots of weeds, the pond had dead fishes too. I made a promise to restore it any way I could. I've been coming here every weekend to tend to the place."

"Oh… Well, since it's Saturday, I'd love to help you."

"You would?"

"Definitely. If it means something to you, I'm in too."

With a huge grin, Dean handed him the rake. "Start with the dead leaves."

A warm smile to match the sun's shine. "Yessir."

They finished raking the leaves and tending to the flowers within an hour and a half. Roman never complained and even asked questions about the flowers. Dean admitted he only followed the instructions from the florist but the nurse seemed genuinely interested.

"Now I'm treating you to lunch," Dean announced, "because you've been working so hard."

"Great. I could do with a cheeseburger now."

"Aren't you supposed to be healthy?"

"Breaking a few rules won't hurt anyone."

"Just your clogged arteries."

"Touche."

"So what did you normally think about when you were at the garden?" Roman asked when Dean and him were seated at a corner booth at Wendy's. "I mean if you're comfortable talking about it."

"Mostly about my home life," Dean answered, popping a fry into his mouth. "I didn't have the best life growing up. It got better when I started working at the garage. When you found me at the cemetery, I had been visiting my old man's grave."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't be; I'm not."

Roman put his burger down, dreading what would come next. "Dean, I'm sorry-"

"Don't be sorry, Roman. I've never shared a lot with anyone before. Jeff and Matt have some idea of it. In a nutshell, I got abused by my parents. My dad was a junkie and my mum was a drunk. They both loved their vices more than me. So much that they used to beat me because they needed money for it and I was in the way."

"In the way?"

"They got to pay for my school fees and my food, don't they? My neighbor was the old man from the bakery shop. He used to hear the beatings and called the cops a few times but they didn't find anything because my folks were very good at hiding… and finishing their stuff."

"They must have been furious."

"Oh they were alright… with me. They thought I was the one calling the cops which was so illogical because I was getting my ass handed to me. I always had to pass the baker's shop and my neighbor stopped me one day and confessed to me that he was the one who called them. He apologised and offered me his leftovers from his morning sales but I kept turning him down. Then one day, I gave up. I could only survive on canned peas for so long."

Roman clenched his fist. "When did they stop?"

"The beatings? After he hit the hell out of me on the last day of summer vacation, I ran away from home. And like I said, I stumbled upon the garage, walked up to Mr Hardy and told him I'd be the best mechanic he ever hired."

"What happened to your mum?"

"Never saw her ever since I left the house. That junkie died when I was twenty eight. The old man knew where I worked - because I bought pastries from him - and he came down to let me know of his passing. I didn't want to go for the funeral but I felt like I had to, you know?"

Roman understood; the responsibilities of a son and whatnot. Dean was the bigger person because of it.

After lunch, the blue eyed man requested to head back to the school where Roman took pictures of the flowers. "Just for research purpose. I'd love to read up more on it." It would be a good way to bond with him too.

"This place has a lot of memories," Dean said. "So that's my life, my story. I'm sure there are many like me out there but you know."

"Everyone has a story, Dean. It's yours to tell and I'm humbled that you shared it with me."

"You're right. And you know what else?"

"What?"

"Ours has just begun."

A/N So I decided to hold the fast forward and keep it to this. Thank you to everyone who has supported this. Nashike, I hope you loved this babe. It was an honor to write for you. Look out for the sequel soon. Have a great weekend, guys! :-)