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Dean doesn't want a roommate, but the fact of the matter is that he can't pay the rent on his own, not with his extensive class load. He's working a part-time job, but the pay is shit, and they keep cutting his hours. He's left with no other choice than to put an ad in the local newspaper for a roommate. Dean's not picky—as long as the person's able to pay their half of the rent, doesn't get in his way, and doesn't complain about the rather messy state of the apartment, he's good. He doesn't have a gender preference, either. If Dean's being honest, he'd prefer a girl, but if he gets a guy, he's not going to complain. He just hopes that he doesn't get one of those overly friendly or questioning roommates, because he's not about to explain his lifestyle to anyone else.
Few people in his life know it, but Dean's bisexual. He's not ashamed of that fact, it's just not something he particularly wants to advertise. He's a private guy, he always has been. Even his closest friends would tell you that Dean never quite reveals himself to anyone. He doesn't trust many people, and by protecting himself, he can't get hurt. Pretty simple, really.
Seth Rollins prefers to live alone, and any other time, he would. But after a messy encounter leading to his last roommate kicking him out, he can't afford it. Seth could call his family and they would probably send him money for rent, at least for a couple of months until he can get a steady job, but he doesn't want to ask them for help. For one thing, he'd made a promise to himself when he moved out that he was going to do things on his own, and he intended to stick to it. And secondly, he didn't want to hear the lecture from his stepfather about irresponsibility and being a man.
But as luck would have it, Seth happens to stumble upon an ad in the newspaper for a roommate. He reads over the ad quickly, and, without a second thought, decides that he's going to go for it. He'll be living with a guy, but Seth has no problems with that. He's quiet, neat, and he doesn't hover. Hopefully this guy, Dean Ambrose, is the same way.
Dean's eating his second bowl of Lucky Charms when he hears a soft knock at his door. He wipes his mouth, puts the bowl in the sink, and makes a mental note to do the dishes later. Maybe he should've put in an ad for a housekeeper as well.
He's greeted by a guy about his age. Tall, slim, but still athletic, with kind, wide brown eyes. He's wearing dark skinny jeans, a t-shirt with the name of some band Dean's never heard over emblazoned across the front, and a snapback cap. He smiles nervously at Dean.
“Uh, hi. I'm Seth Rollins. I'm here about the ad in the newspaper.”
“Ad?” Dean asks, confused. He's trying not to stare at Seth, but he is failing miserably. He's not one to blatantly check someone out when they're standing right in front of him, but he would be lying if he said that Seth wasn't hot. He's not the kind of guy Dean usually finds attractive—Dean doesn't usually go for pretty boys—but Seth is fucking gorgeous. And Dean gets the impression that Seth's aware of this, and probably uses it to his advantage. He really wants Seth for his roommate, not just because he can help pay the rent, but also because he's fucking hot. Even if he's straight as an arrow, Dean wants to snatch Seth up for a roommate before someone else does.
There's always the possibility that Seth likes guys, but of course Dean can't count on that. He can hope, though, and he does.
“About a roommate?” Seth explains patiently. “Are you Dean?”
“Yeah.” Dean snaps out of the spell he's under, and steps to the side. “Come in.”
Seth looks around the apartment. It's slightly bigger than his was, but messier. Socks are strewn everywhere, along with a couple of pizza boxes. Seth automatically wrinkles his nose in disgust.
“Sorry about the mess,” Dean apologizes, catching the look on Seth's face. “I don't spend much time here.”
“It's okay,” Seth answers. “So what exactly are you looking for in a roommate?”
Dean shrugs and leans back against the fridge.
“Do you have a job?”
“No,” Seth admits. “But I put in applications, and I have money in the bank. That'll cover my half of the rent for a few months.” He says this quickly, hoping that Dean won't change his mind. If he does, Seth's screwed. He will have literally nowhere to go.
Dean nods.
“Okay. Couple of things we need to address. One: I don't like people getting all up in my space.” Dean punctuates this by gesticulating wildly with his hands. “Two: I really, really hate interrogations.”
Seth raises an eyebrow. This guy's definitely different than anyone he's ever met, but Seth likes that. Dean doesn't seem like the kind of guy that's going to expect Seth to tell him every detail about his life.
“I don't care what you do,” Dean continues, “just don't get in my way.”
“Okay.”
“...Okay?”
Seth nods.
“When can I move in?”
“Oh.” Dean is surprised, he hadn't really thought about that. “Whenever you want, I guess. I got an extra key, you can use it until you get your own.” He scratches his head. “Do you mind sleeping on the couch?”
“Nope,” Seth answers.
“Okay, cool.”
The silence is a bit awkward, mostly because Seth doesn't really know what else to say. He checks his watch and notices that it's just past lunch. He's craving a hot ham and cheese from the school's cafeteria, but he doesn't want to take off in the middle of whatever this is. An interview? Not quite. An assessment? Seth feels like he's being studied, but he's not sure why. Dean's looking at him with an unreadable expression on his face, one that doesn't make Seth feel uncomfortable, just mildly confused.
“Okay.” Seth stands up. “So I guess I'll see you later? I'll have most of my stuff moved in by Friday.”
Dean simply stands there, still looking at Seth. To break the silence, Seth sticks his hand out for Dean to shake. Instead, Dean balls up a fist and holds it out for Seth to bump. Seth raises an eyebrow but does so. This seems to please Dean, as he grins.
“That's cool. See ya then, Seth.”
Seth does a little wave and then leaves, Dean watching him the whole way.
As Seth crosses the quad to the cafeteria, he can't stop thinking about the way Dean kept staring at him. It was strange. It didn't take Seth long to figure out that Dean is a weird kind of guy, but it's not a problem. He's just grateful that he has a place to live now. But if he didn't know any better, Seth would say that Dean was checking him out. It's definitely puzzling, but Seth's flattered by it. He didn't pick up any kind of vibes from Dean indicating that he might be gay or even bi, but Seth knows firsthand that some people hide it better than others. Hopefully he'll have no problem with Seth's sexuality, not that it's something Seth plans on bringing up unless the situation calls for it.
Who knows? Maybe they'll have a lot in common. Seth certainly hopes so.