In dreams, we are completely different from our real selves. It's like a reflection that we can never see. It's like holding a puddle of water, watching the vast blue ocean, and realizing the difference.Dean is also in a beautiful dream, dressed in an aqua-colored shirt. He smiled while watching the firecrackers light up in the sky. He felt a presence behind him and arms around his waist. Before he could panic, he felt a chin on his right shoulder. He looks at the source and smiles at Roman.Dean looks at the firecrackers lit in the air and whispers, "It's nice to see—"Roman cuts through Dean's words with a tender smile. "Your smile,"Dean tried to stop his lips from widening. However, he bit his lower lip and looked down instead. Eyes filled with warmth.He parted his lips to whisper his thanks to Roman. Yet he couldn't say anything. He lost his voice. But he turned his head and smiled at Roman, wishing the man to get his emotions through his eyes, and yes, Roman understood and smiled back.He placed a tender kiss on his shoulder, shocking Dean. However, Dean didn't have the power to push the man away or to look at him with disgust. He doesn't know why he felt comfort instead."Papa, are you kissing the teacher?" Dean frowned when he heard a child's voice. He looks around for Ayan. but he didn't see him."Teacher smiling too?" He heard it again and looked back at Roman, who continued to smile at him.⋇⋆✦⋆⋇In reality, Dean is tightly embraced in Roman's arms. His arms over his waist and another holding Dean close to him as they cuddle.Roman is sleeping peacefully and loves the feeling of hugging someone close to him after a long time. Unknowingly, imagining his wife, he kissed Dean's shoulder. This act was caught by a sleepy Ayan, who was searching for his dad.Ayan's voice brought the parent and model back to reality. They look at Ayan with confusion and sleepiness still consuming them. They just want to continue sleeping."Ayan, go back to sleep. It's still early morning." Roman mumbled with sleepiness and closed his eyes."Papa, the sun is sunbathing." Ayan points at the closed curtains, where light is skimming through them.Roman abruptly got up and looked at Ayan. "What do you know about sunbathing?" He asked, looking at Ayan with narrowed eyes.Dean also got up, looking at the duo."We wake up and bathe. So, the sun also bathes." Ayan explained. "Sun doesn't bathe Papa?""Oh..." Roman nods his head and falls back onto the bed. He turns around to sleep again."Papa, tell me!" Curious, Ayan tries to take the duvet from his father. However, his dad is stronger."Ask your teacher. That's his job." Roman says finding comfort to sleep againDean looks at Roman with parted lips and wide eyes. He forced a smile, looking at Ayan. He knows the boy is waiting for the reply."Teacher, tell me-""Of course, the sun takes a bath.""Why did Papa kiss you?"Roman pressed his face into the pillow, pretending to sleep. He didn't realize his action until Ayan pointed it out. Did he really kiss Dean? A man? That's awful.Dean didn't have any replies to that. His eyes focused on Roman's back, and unconsciously, his hand went to his shoulder."Yes, there." Ayan pointed, watching Dean's move.Dean flips the duvet and steps out, speaking in a hurry. "Ask your papa. He did it. I didn't." He rushed towards the bathroom.Ayan looks back at his father. "Papa?"Of course, his father ignored him with fake snores.Roman's phone blinks with notifications.message:We have a morning shoot for the commercial. I request everyone to cooperate and reach the attached location on their own. I know, I said today would be your free time to explore the city. You can explore after we're done with the advertisement.⋇⋆✦⋆⋇Roman steps out of the bathroom after wearing his button-up shirt and jeans. He saw Dean combing Ayan's hair while the boy was looking at his teacher."Teacher, what will we eat for breakfast?" Ayan asked, hoping to see his teacher smile at him. But he got a hum and hands fixing his shirt.Roman looks down, believing Dean is again distraught because of him. He doesn't know how he could peck Dean's shoulder in bed. That was very bad of him. No matter how good they feel hugging, whatever he did is not correct, knowing Dean is gay. Obviously, he would feel uncomfortable."Ayan, will you help Papa clear this level?" Roman asked about opening a gaming app. "I can't cross it. It's so hard."Ayan giggled, taking the phone, as Roman observed Dean sitting on the bed and looking through his phone."Okey. I'll finish this." Ayan spoke with determination.Roman steps towards Dean and sits next to him. "I'm sorry for the morning incident. I always do something and-" he paused his words when he saw tears filling Dean's eyes."It's nothing," Dean said after sniffing. "I just read an article." He said he was forwarding his phone to Roman.Roman takes the phone with confusion and asks, "Article? Why are you being emotional— a 15-year-old girl who committed suicide?" He blinks his eyes and scrolls to read the article.It's about a young girl who had big dreams and was ambitious. Her room was lit with bright gifts and lights. However, the soul sees only darkness. Her smile was filled with warmth. Yet she shivers with loneliness. Her family provides her with every possible materialistic thing. But they couldn't buy their time and love for her.The tiny youth took the drastic step of taking her life. Because she felt nobody was reaching out to her. She couldn't cope with the sadness witnessed by her pillow.Roman keeps the phone aside and holds Dean's hand. "It's not just about the girl, right?"Dean holds Roman's hand tightly. "I see myself in her." He whispered while leaning forward to rest his head on Roman's shoulder."I'm listening," Roman replied, hugging the man."You know I had surgery, right?" Dean asked, getting a hum from the man. He inhales, remembering his days on the bed. "I was in the hospital, and the nurse went away because some other patient called. She left the tray of IV fluids on the table, and I saw the scissors in it." Dean inhaled deeply and spoke in a hushed way. "I thought I would end everyone's misery by myself. once and for all. When I'm gone and-""Shut up, and not a single word about it. Did your family save you?" Roman snaps at his confession. What the hell was this man thinking? Ending himself? Nobody's life is a cakewalk. Nevertheless, what could have driven Dean to think this way?"No, they still don't know about this. I couldn't do it. I put the scissors back before anyone saw me. It's like something was stopping me.""If you have the guts to take your life, take the same courage to live through it. It's not easy to hug your end. Everybody fears death." Roman blabbered without any filter. "Never get that thought in your mind ever again. I'm here. I'll always listen to you just the way you do. I'll... I'll listen to everything from good to bad, high to low. I'll never judge you."Roman didn't realize that he was hugging Dean tightly. As though trying to hug even his soul too. "Never think of such things again. If anything goes wrong-""Shush," Dean says, rubbing Roman's back to calm the man. He looks in distress. Although he's talking calmly, he's probably used to hiding his feelings.But Roman didn't stop. "I'll be here. You can hug me all you want. You think doing something like that can end-"Roman stopped talking when he noticed Dean's fond gaze. A soft, lingering smile on the lips. He felt Dean brushing his cheek softly, like caressing a feather."Calm down. Whatever you said is correct from your end. However, when someone feels lost, there's this constant nagging that we are not normal. Others are way more perfect than us. We should just..." Dean sighs, holding a bitter smile. "It's not easy to take such a step. However, we don't get any reason to continue living either."Roman looked at the palm holding his cheek and felt his heart pounding harder on his ribcage. He looks back at Dean, who planned to rest his head back on the shoulder and heaves another deep sigh."Papa, I finished!" Ayan shouted while showing the phone and jumping on the bed."Wow, Ayan is so smart." Dean compliments him with a wide smile. He gestures to Ayan to show him.The boy jumps down from the bed and runs to his teacher. Dean takes the phone, looking at the score with a proud smile. "Good," he says, patting Ayan's head.All these expressions are noticed by Roman. He stood up abruptly and sat down again. He rubs his face with quivering lips. He knows this feeling. He understands why his heart is beating fast. He realized that he was scared to lose Dean. He knows the reason; after all, it's not the first time he's felt those emotions.But it can be a mistake too. Yeah, he's mistaken. Roman nodded unconsciously. It's just a thought."Uh, Roman. Are you alright?" Dean holds the man's shoulder, exchanging gazes with Ayan, who juts his lower lip, not knowing the reason."I may not be able to see things from your end. But I'll surely hear whatever you see and feel." Roman said, standing up, clearing his throat, and avoiding Dean's eyes."Baby, did you drink water?" Roman said, taking the boy's hand."I didn't eat breakfast." Ayan points out that he is looking at his father with big eyes."Oh, right..." Roman awkwardly laughs. "Let's go then."Dean blinks, watching Roman. What happened to him?"Hey, wait for me." Dean follows the duo out.⋇⋆✦⋆⋇Roman was talking with Ethan, who is in the office and giving clear instructions on handling Excel and updating the data properly."Yes, you must include even a minute expenditure in the journal," Roman instructs Ethan.Ethan, being an associate accountant under Roman, is having a lot of trouble managing things in the absence of the senior.Roman heard Dean and Ayan giggling. He narrowed his eyes at Dean's back and assumed Ayan was sitting on the table, where refreshments are kept."Mail me the updated one by this evening," Roman says so and ends the call."What are you both doing?" Roman asked, stepping towards the giggling duo. Dean did not turn around. But Ayan peeks at his papa over Dean."Papa!" The boy exclaimed, laughing and showing lipstick.Roman had a hunch about the outcome. Dean let the boy paint his lips, and it's obviously a mess. He turns the man towards himself, who has pressed his eyes to avoid embarrassment.Dean thought he'd let the boy apply lipstick, and later he'd use the remover. However, as always, nothing goes as planned."It's smudged," Roman whispered, taking his kerchief from his pocket."Ayan, keep it back," Roman spoke while holding Dean's face. Ayan quickly placed it on the table and joined his hands together, looking at his dad with big eyes and pouty lips."Where did you get that?" Roman asked, glancing at Ayan and carefully wiping the red tint from Dean's lower lip."Aunty gave me." Ayan points at a lady. However, his father is busy clearing his mess.Speechless, Dean looks at Roman. Instead of pushing the man away and borrowing remover from the ladies. He felt his cheeks heating up with shyness, and the cherry on top was the dream. The same one, where he didn't get uncomfortable with Roman."Is it hurting?" Roman asked with worry when he noticed redness spreading on Dean's face. Even the top of his ear turned red. He simply shook his head.Roman sighs, and the minted breath falls on Dean's lips, he visibly shivers and clutches Roman's upper arm."Dean!"They both turned to Freya, who held a wide smile."Dean, you can use this." She hands the said male a lipstick lookalike."Again?" Roman looks at the thing with wide eyes. He turns to Dean and says, "Do you love applying lipstick?"Dean quickly shook his head. "I-""You don't need it anyway. Your lips are already pink." Roman spoke casually and picked Ayan from the table."It's the remover. It'll easily remove the color." Freya points this out while looking at Roman, who nodded."I don't know about makeup and stuff," Roman explained that now he feels idiotic for rubbing Dean's lips. He hopes he wasn't harsh.Dean looks down at his thumping heart. While Roman was near, he didn't dare to breathe deeply. He felt his heart beating fast. However, this time it didn't cause any pain."And, you." Roman talks to Ayan. "Young man, we need to talk." Roman walked away from there while stuffing his kerchief back in his pocket.Freya fisted the lip color remover. She didn't like their closeness. So, she interrupted their moment with a lot of thought to give her lip color remover. However, she bites his lower lip. When she saw Roman stuffing the kerchief in his pocket. She wouldn't have minded if it was stained with her lip color, not this blushing man.Freya fakes a smile at Dean, who smiles back.This man is still blushing! I wish he wasn't planning to target a straight widowed man. Because Roman has always been mine.⋇⋆✦⋆⋇"Dean and Sabastian, are you guys done with rehearsal?" The director shouts, gaining the attention of the duo."Almost," Sabastian replies, looking away from the script and murmuring the lines."Yes," Dean said, keeping the script away.Nervousness is written on Dean's face. A photoshoot is fine. But, acting? He never thought of planning to create an artistic painting; he would pose in front of the camera. Life surely takes you from the pit to the highest sky only at the right moment. All the while, patience becomes our companion. sometimes impatience and disappointment too.A black car stops at the side, gaining attention, as no taxi or anything else should be parked around the shooting site. Who broke this simple instruction?The director's eyebrows twitch with annoyance. He looks in the direction of the car, still waiting. "Who the hell-"The director widens his eyes and stands straight from his chair. In the action, it fell to the ground too. The very sound of the director pausing his words and the falling chair got the attention of everyone."Mr. Raynott." The director greets him, stepping towards a man wearing a black suit who had three bodyguards around him.Dean couldn't see the figure causing a commotion. The staff was blocking his sight."Concentrate on the script. You should do well. The staff will handle whatever is going on." Roman instructs Dean, who smiles and nods his head.Dean looks down at the script. However, Freya had her jaws on the ground. She looks at the intruder with horror. What the hell is he doing here?She looks at her manager, who looked as shocked as she was. She gulps and faces the opposite side. I'm getting a bad feeling."Just call me Nathan." Nathan shook hands with the director."It's good to see you in real life." Mr. Raynott." Liam raises his hand too. Nathan gave a professional smile and nodded."How's the shoot going?" Nathan asked, stepping inside the crowd. The crowd looked at him with shock and gave way for the man to walk.Liam looked through the crowd and gestured for Roman to greet him. "He's the CEO of Emricon." Liam mouths, hoping Roman gets his point.Roman nodded, stepping forward and gaining the attention of Dean, standing by his side."Hello, I'm Romano Carter, manager of the accounts department." Roman raised his hand.Nathan nodded and shook his hand. "Nathan Raynott,"Dean hears the voice and widens his eyes. He knows this voice. He remembers this tone. With hesitation, Dean steps forward and looks at the man shaking hands with Roman."Mr. Liam, can you update on the project?" Nathan turned towards the man mentioned."Yes, of course, sir." Liam gestured for the man to follow him to an isolated place.When Nathan walks next to Liam. Dean saw him; he saw the sharp jawline, black hair, and body proportions just like the Nathan he knows. Maybe he gained more muscles now."Nathan?" Dean whispered in disbelief while his blood ran cold.