#oncce

"Hey Dean, let me hit you back in a bit, okay?" Roman said, "Yeah. Cool. Later bro."

Roman tucked his phone into his pocket. He wasn't sure why but he always felt rude talking on the phone in front of anyone not involved in his conversation, especially in such a small room like the one he was currently entering. It just felt like bad manners.

He needn't have rushed off the phone, however, because in the small window of time it took him to end the call, the brunette had made her selection and turned to leave. She gave him a small smile and Roman nodded at her with a smile of his own.

Roman walked up to the cooler as he dug around in the pocket of his gym shorts for change, assessing the shelves and his options.

"Damn," he muttered quietly to himself, "all out of Vitamin Water."

Ever since one of the Bellas had given him one backstage, Roman had developed a slight obsession with his post-workout fruity tasting water. Dean and Seth gave him a ton of crap about it, but he couldn't help it. And hey, there are way worse vices to have.

"Um, you can have mine, if you want," a voice behind him said.

Roman jumped a little, slightly startled, before turning around to see the brown haired girl that left moments ago. He smiled at her, his cheeks burning slightly from appearing so skittish.

"I didn't realize you were still out there," he said, chuckling lightly.

"I wasn't trying to creep on you or anything," she said, smiling back at him. "I stopped just for a second to answer a text and heard you. So…?" She held out the bottle in front of her, gesturing for him to take it.

"Oh, that's very sweet of you, but it's alright. I'll get something else," he said, surprised by how nice a complete stranger was being. Sure, fans gave him gifts and fawned over him all the time, but if this girl was a fan she didn't act like it. There was usually more shrieking and jumping involved in that sort of interaction.

"No really, take it," she insisted, "I chose it 'eenie-meenie-miney-moe' style, anyway. And it sounds like you're jonesing" she teased him lightly.

Roman couldn't help but to laugh at that. He reached forward and grabbed the bottle from her, noticing it was his favorite flavor.

He looked up from the bottle and took a second to take the girl in. She was short, couldn't have been more than a few inches over five feet. She had pale skin and her light brown hair fell in soft curls that landed just above her waist. On her face were black framed glasses, and she wore a simple blue t-shirt and gray shorts, both fitting her in a way that emphasized her curves. She was cute, and just Roman's type.

Dude, get a grip, he thought to himself, looking away quickly, hoping she didn't think he was a sleaze.

"Um, well, okay. Thanks," Roman said, meeting her eyes, "you sure?"

"Yeah, it's really no big deal," she assured him.

"Okay, well let me at least pay for your replacement. It's the least I can do for you giving me my fix," he said, "It wouldn't be fair to make you pay for both."

"Well, if you insist," she shrugged her shoulders with a smile.

"Pick your poison," Roman said as he gestured to the machine. He reached back into his pocket for his quarters, and moved over slightly so she could make her choice.

She fidgeted in front of the cooler for a minute, finally settling on a peach sweet tea and punching in the code on the keypad. Roman leaned forward and stuck the quarters in the slot, his arm brushing her shoulder as he did. His stomach did a tiny flip at the touch.

This is like high school pathetic, he thought to himself, smiling a tiny bit. He couldn't help it- this girl was cute, and something about her intrigued him.

The girl bent down and grabbed her drink from the small door at the bottom of the machine. She twisted the cap off and took a small sip. Swallowing and replacing the top, she smiled up at Roman.

"Thank you," she said.

"No problem, thank you," Roman said, gesturing with the bottle.

The girl turned and walked into the hallway, stopping just outside the door and turned towards Roman once more.

"Anytime, Superman," she said as she gave him a final nod and a quick wink, then started off towards her room.

Roman's smile grew at that and he walked out of the room, quickly catching up to her, his legs roughly twice the length of hers making it easy.

"Ah, so you're a fan," he mused, walking up beside her, "here I thought you were just a Good Samaritan." He smiled at her, raising his eyebrow in mock skepticism.

The girl laughed gently and looked up at him as she reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Who's to say I wouldn't have done the same thing for anybody else?" She asked with a smile, clearly not offended.

And Roman might have been imagining it, but she seemed to be flirting with him.

Oh, get over yourself, he thought, dismissing the notion as soon as it crossed his mind. Still, he figured flirting a little himself wouldn't hurt anybody.

He put a playful pout on his face and looked over at her "Oh, here I was thinking I was special. Guess I'm just a sad, fruity water obsessed wrestler you took pity on at the vending machine."

She laughed out loud and stopped walking, crossing her arms and furrowing her brow, pretending to study him for a few seconds. She smiled and gently patted Roman's forearm. The touch was far too short in Roman's opinion.

"I guess I just couldn't resist a superhero in distress," she finally said, starting to walk again.

They both laughed at that. For a minute or so they walked next to one another silently, each taking a few sips of their drink. Suddenly the girl stopped and reached into the pocket of her shorts.

"Well, this is me," she said, nodding at the door she had stopped in front of.

"Oh!" Roman said, and looked around quickly, realizing he hadn't been paying attention the entire time they were walking. As luck would have it, he was standing right in front of his own door as well, just across from the pretty brunette's.

"Me too," he said pointing to his own room, "I guess we're neighbors."

This is awesome, he chanted in his head.

The girl popped her key card into the slot on her door and pushed it open before turning to Roman, and flashing him a big smile.

"Well then, I guess I'll see you around. Have a good night, Roman. Stay hydrated!" She let out one last giggle and walked inside, letting the door close behind her, and leaving Roman smiling like an idiot to himself in the hallway.

He shook his head and dug around for his own keycard, the grin never leaving his face. He had a feeling this week was going to be a good one.

A tall, slender woman with long ruby red hair looked up when she spotted them at the counter, a smile breaking out on her face. She wore an open green and black flannel shirt over a black tank top and ripped black shorts over a pair of tights. As she approached, Roman noticed a glimmering piercing in her nose.

“Hey, Lucy” she said warmly as she set her book on the counter, “and hello to Lucy’s friend.” 

“Roman,” he said with a chuckle and extended his hand, “nice to meet you.” 

“Sydney, and likewise,” the woman said, shaking his hand firmly. 

“Roman is actually my boyfriend,” Lucy said with a slight pink flush to her cheeks, smiling and glancing up to Roman’s eyes. 

He looked warmly down at her with a slight flutter in his stomach.

“I thought the name sounded familiar,” Sydney said as she grinned between the two of them. 

Lucy pulled her eyes from Roman’s and turned back to give Sydney a questioning look.

“Courtney?” she asked.

“Courtney,” Sydney nodded in confirmation. 

Lucy shook her head with a short laugh and turned back to Roman to explain. 

“Liza, the friend I went out with last night?” she began, and Roman nodded, “Courtney is her fiance, and she used to work here, which is how I found this place.”

“And both she and Liza are terrible gossips,” Sydney added with a chuckle, “not that we blame them. I think you’re their last single friend, Luce. Someone has to provide the excitement around here.”

“Thankfully not so single now,” Lucy said, slipping her arm around Roman’s waist.

He rested his hand on her hip as Lucy and Sydney caught up, looking over the extensive menu of coffee and food in his hands, feeling a quiet thrill at how eager Lucy was to introduce him to the people in her life.

They each ordered a coffee, and Sydney got to work as the pair shopped, browsing through the seemingly endless selection of books. There was a small basket containing an assortment of notebooks that grabbed Lucy’s attention, and she started looking over each one carefully. 

Roman wandered a few shelves over to the culinary section, curious to see if any cook books would catch his eye. He found one on southern food and pulled it out to leaf through a few pages, having little experience with those sorts of recipes. Roman looked over the book for a few minutes, feeling inspired as he looked at the pictures of fried chicken and pies topped with mountains of meringue. He’d decided to purchase it when Lucy came over with a leather notebook in hand, embossed with delicate designs of vines and flowers. 

“What do you think?” she asked, holding out for his inspection, “my boss gave me the great idea to keep a journal on our trip. I think this one is perfect- it’ll fit in my purse, and it’s pretty.” 

“It is very pretty,” Roman said with a nod, thumbing over the details and appreciating the intricacy, “looks good to me.” 

“That was easy, then,” Lucy chirped, “I wasn’t sure they’d have any here, you never really know what you’re going to find.”

“So, you said your boss gave you the idea,” he said, keeping his tone light, even as his pulse ticked up slightly, Sika’s words echoing in his head.

How do you know she’s not writing about you? 

“Does she want you to put together a story or something after all?” he asked.

“Oh, no,” she said with a dismissive shake of her head, “she’s just traveled quite a bit, and there are memories she made that have faded over time. She said she wishes that she’d written more things down,” she finished with a shrug. 

“That makes sense,” Roman said, relieved- but the feeling was short-lived. 

A spark of frustration replaced the momentary suspicion he’d felt at Lucy simply buying a journal.

Don’t let him get to you, he chastised himself.

“Maybe you should start one, too,” she said, her eyes lighting up at the idea, “I mean, I know you’re so busy when you’re on the road, but that could be all the more reason to do it. I’m sure there are things you don’t want to forget.” 

He let out a breath as he met her gaze and felt himself melt. Here was this thoughtful woman encouraging him to slow down and remember the little things, and once again Roman grew frustrated as his father- and himself- for thinking, even for the briefest of moments, that she could be using him. 

“I love that idea,” he agreed, and followed her back over to the basket, “I think I’ll get one for each of the guys, too. Seth already keeps one on him - actually I think he’s gone through two by now- so he’ll be glad to have another when that one runs out.”

The pair looked through all of their options, pulling aside any possibilities. They finally settled on a terracotta colored moleskine with a fox imprinted on the bottom right corner for Dean, and a black tone-on-tone journal with a sword pattern on it for Seth. Roman had his narrowed down to two- a simple blue cloth covered one with a silver quill on the cover, or a dark brown leather one with a large embossed tree, its branches extending across the cover and over the spine. 

“Ok, quick,” Lucy said, holding them both up in front of her, “don’t overthink it. One, two, three! Which one?” she asked, looking at him expectantly. 

“Ahhhh, the tree,” Roman said, pointing to the leather journal in her left hand, “definitely the tree.” 

“Yes! That was my favorite, too” she grinned happily and handed him the notebook, piling the rejected ones back into the basket. 

“Here are your drinks,” Sydney said with a grin, setting two cups down on the table next to where Roman and Lucy were standing, “want me to hold those at the register until you’re ready to cash out?” she asked, gesturing to the pile he was holding. 

“That’d be great, thanks,” Roman said, handing the stack of notebooks and the southern cookbook to her. 

“Thanks, Syd,” Lucy smiled gratefully to Sydney before looking at Roman, pointing out the window behind him, “want to sit outside? It’s gorgeous today.”

“Let’s do it,” he agreed with a nod, grabbing their drinks and following her through the back door to a table that was up against a small fence with a large jasmine plant growing up and over it. 

They sipped their drinks in a pleasant silence for a few minutes. Roman closed his eyes and took a long sip, appreciating the combination of the soft, cool breeze and the warm spiced cinnamon latte he was drinking. He let out a slow breath, willing any lingering negativity to float away as he enjoyed his day with Lucy. 

“So, how was yesterday with the family?” she asked him before taking a sip of her drink, eyeing him curiously.

He stalled by taking another sip, the hope of letting it all go squashed in an instant. He swallowed and opened his mouth to speak, focusing on the positive to start.

“Well the moment I walked in the door, I found out that Cici is pregnant with baby number one,” he said with a broad grin. 

“Oh, wow!” she said with a smile, “I’m sure everyone was so excited.” 

“For sure, my mom especially,” he said with a nod, “she is thrilled. Oh, and she sent an entire platter of baked ziti for you, by the way. She gave me direct orders to give it to you- I’ve got it in the freezer at home.” 

“That’s so sweet,” Lucy said softly. She paused for a moment before she asked, “so it went OK, then? Telling your parents about…us?”

Roman's smile faltered, and he switched his cup back and forth between, staring at it in his hands for a second before he spoke. He could feel Lucy watching him, picking up on the change in his demeanor. The usual glow in her eyes dimmed, but she calmly waited for him to answer. 

“My mom was ecstatic,” Roman said truthfully, and his smile partially returned as he recalled what she’d said to him at the dinner table, “she said the road must have brought us together. Like it was fate.” 

Lucy's smile perked up at that, too, but she still looked wary. 

“Hence the ziti,” she said, and Roman nodded. 

“Jimmy and Jey were excited, too,” he continued, “And Naomi- she wants to introduce you to a few of the girls while we’re over there.” 

“That’s so nice of her,” Lucy said. She bit her bottom lip nervously, clearly aware of the person Roman had yet to mention, “and, your dad?” 

“My dad…” Roman started with a deep sigh, “my dad thinks he knows everything, and it’s hard to convince him otherwise. He wasn’t too happy about it, but he’ll come around in time, I’m sure.” 

He stopped there, debating internally about how much further he should elaborate. He didn’t want Sika to get into Lucy’s head the way he’d apparently gotten to his, and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings with the theories he’d thrown around about her intentions. 

“He’s just- he’s from another time, you know?” Roman continued, carefully, “his life on the road was a lot different than the one we live now, and he’s having trouble seeing past that, I think.” 

It was the truth, at least. Roman didn’t feel great about keeping things from Lucy, but this would only upset her. He decided to leave it at that. 

“Does he think I’m getting in the way?” she asked worriedly, “ I know I kept you up a few late nights in Orlando, and-”

“- baby, no.” Roman interrupted, a little too sharply, his protective energy coming out in exactly the wrong way.

Lucy brows furrowed at his tone and he shook his head, ticking his jaw to the side. He couldn’t stomach the idea of her feeling guilty when she had nothing to apologize for; of her thinking she was doing anything wrong. The effects his stubborn proud father was having on her was making him see red. 

He inhaled slowly through his nose, exhaling deeply from his chest.

“Nothing he is worried about actually has anything to do with you, I don’t think,” he continued in a calmer voice, “our world- pro wrestling, I mean- isn’t known for fostering the best relationships. In his day, no one would have even considered bringing someone on tour with them. He just…doesn’t get it.”

Roman reached over and took Lucy’s hand in his, to comfort her and also himself. She squeezed his fingers as they wrapped around his and gave him a weak smile. He looked down at their joint hands, still fuming inside at how concerned Lucy had gotten in an instant, all because his father couldn’t just be supportive.

He knew Sika only wanted the best for him- he knew that. But there was just something about him doubting Lucy’s intentions that made his blood boil. 

“Hey,” Lucy said gently, and Roman met her eyes. Her gaze was soft as she looked at him, “is that all that’s going on, Ro? You don’t seem quite like yourself.” 

He sighed and gave her a half smile. She didn’t miss a thing. 

What had he done to deserve this patient woman? 

“Yeah, I don’t know,” he answered, “it just got to me, is all. As much as I didn’t expect him to be thrilled, it stung more than I thought it would. He barely let me get the words out before he’d made up his mind about you- about us,” 

He shook his head bitterly.

Lucy nodded her head in understanding and took another sip of her coffee, watching him thoughtfully. 

“Well, if you think it’ll be okay, then I trust you,” she said carefully, “and as much I love saying it, you don’t actually have to be Superman all the time, you know. You can be upset, or in a bad mood- you don’t have to pretend with me.” 

Warmth filled Roman’s chest, and he tugged at her arm, pulling her to stand up slightly out of her chair. 

“Come here,” he said, standing up and leaning over the table to place a kiss on her lips, sliding his hand up to cup her jaw as he did so. 

Lucy grinned into the kiss, resting her hand on his bicep. Not wanting to make a scene in public, he kept it short and sweet. He rested his forehead against hers for a moment, closing his eyes and releasing a slow breath. Her breath ghosted against him as she followed suit. They settled back into their seats, smiling at one another, relieved as some of the tension in the air lifted. 

“So,” Lucy began after a moment, “when we’ve finished our drinks, I thought you might like to look through the box of artwork inside. They always have unique and interesting prints, maybe we can find something for your house.” 

“I’ll follow your lead on that,” he said with a nod, feeling himself relax as she mercifully changed the subject, “of the two of us, it seems like you’ve got the knack for picking out art.” 

Her eyes softened, the tension in her face gone as she was seemingly satisfied with his improved demeanor. They took their time enjoying the rest of their coffee, chatting about her night with Liza and the more pleasant parts of Roman’s family time, and he felt himself slowly unwind.

When they headed back inside, the shop had cleared out somewhat, so Lucy felt comfortable grabbing the large bin of artwork and spreading out the prints on the center table as they looked over each one. Roman considered each piece carefully, trying his best to imagine it in his home. 

“How about this one?” Lucy said, holding up a striking painting, “this would look great in your bedroom.” 

The print featured a tall palm tree blowing in the wind against a gray sky, a crescent moon just barely visible among scattered clouds. Dark waves crashed against shore, and a small lighthouse peaked up in the background. On either side of the palm tree were two much smaller trees, one of them just taller than the surrounding sea grass. 

Growing up in Florida, Roman had seen home after home filled with nautical and beach themed decor, but this one was different. The darker tones captured the feeling of an approaching storm.

He studied the piece for a minute, picturing how the print would look hanging on his wall. Finally he took it from Lucy with a grin.

“You’re right, this is great,” he said, before pointing at two of the others he’d liked, “do you think it would go well with these, to fill out that wall?”

“Definitely,” she said with a definitive nod, “anything else strike your fancy?” she asked, gesturing to the rest of the considerable selection. 

“Nah, I think just these for now,” Roman said as he stacked the three prints in front of him.

“I’m glad we found you something” Lucy said, looking pleased with herself, “I figured this would be just the place to look.”

Roman grinned as Lucy stood up to find Sydney and let her know they were ready to check out. Roman brought his prints up to the register to add to the stack of journals, and he even managed to buy Lucy’s for her without her noticing. She protested at first when he handed it to her, but eventually thanked him with a shy smile.

“You two should check out the arts fair around the corner,” Sydney said as she handed him a large bag, “they have lots of vendors- crafts and flowers; art, of course; and I think a few antique and thrift stores set up booths, too.”

“That’s our next stop,” Lucy said with an emphatic nod. 

They said their goodbyes to Sydney, and Roman followed Lucy’s lead back outside. She took his hand in hers as they walked to the next block over, where there were a few rows of white tents arranged in a market. A decent amount of people were milling about and exploring the various offerings

“They do this about once a month,” Lucy explained as they stepped inside the first tent, letting their eyes pass over the displays of handcrafted jewelry. 

A man with a graying beard and long ponytail greeted them and let them know to ask if they needed anything.

Hand in hand, Lucy and Roman wandered through each tent, chatting politely with each proprietor. Lucy got into a conversation with a woman selling beeswax candles, and as Roman let his eyes drift around, they landed on a truck selling flowers right behind them. Knowing she’d be occupied for at least another few minutes, Roman quietly walked away and approached the vendor. 

“Afternoon,” the woman greeted him, “looking for anything in particular?” 

“Just thought I’d grab something special for my girl over there,” Roman said, gesturing to Lucy, who was examining a few different candles and listening intently, “any suggestions?”

“Hmm,” she said, following his eyeline, considering the question for a moment. 

She turned and grabbed a bouquet of full, bright pink flowers with a grouping of long yellow stems in the center, holding them out to him, “Try these, they’re called camellias.”

Roman took the bunch from her, lifting them to his nose, inhaling their sweet scent.

“I’ll take them,” he said, admiring the vibrant colors.

He paid for the flowers and thanked the woman before walking back over to Lucy, just in time to see her finishing up her own purchase.

“For you,” Roman said with a smile as presented the bouquet to her. 

Her eyes lit up as she wrapped her fingers around the stems and lifted the blossoms to her nose.

“These are beautiful,” she said, smiling up at him over the flowers, “thank you.” 

She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his jaw. 

They walked through several more booths before Lucy spotted one that had tables covered in antique odds and ends. At the end of one of the tables were several boxes of picture frames in every shape and size. 

“Some of these might work for your prints,” Lucy suggested, and Roman nodded with a shrug, looking through the box in front of him. 

He’d never thought to come to a place like this to decorate his house, but as he pulled an intricate bronze frame out of the box, he noticed that a few of them were similar to the ones Lucy had hung on her walls.

“Is this where you got the frames you have?” he asked, setting one he thought might be the right size aside.

“I think this vendor is new,” she said with a shake of her head, “but I do usually get them second hand. Antique stores, thrift stores, those sorts of places.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been thrifting,” Roman said.

“Well, we’ll have to fix that soon,” Lucy said, grinning up at him. She looked down at the box in her hands and pulled out a wooden frame, studying it before holding up for him, “this one is nice- isn’t it similar to the wood of your dresser?”

“Oh yeah, that’s perfect,” Roman said, surprised at the nearly identical match. He rifled a bit through another box before he found another frame made from the same wood. He held it up, smiling in triumph, “and look- here’s another one!”

Lucy grinned at his enthusiasm as they continued to look through the boxes. They found a larger frame that they agreed would work for the print of the stormy beach, and another for Lucy before they cashed out.

They meandered through the rest of the booths before walking back to Lucy’s car, satisfied with everything they’d found. 

“So I was thinking,” Lucy said as they climbed into her car, “now that we have the perfect frames, want to go by your place and hang up your brand new art? See if you like them in the space?”

“Great idea,” Roman agreed with a nod, “and I can heat us up some of mom’s leftovers for lunch? That way I can honestly tell her how much you liked them before we go out of town.” 

“Perfect!” 

She turned the key in the ignition and headed off towards Roman’s house. A mellow duet sung by a woman harmonizing with a man with a deep, accented voice played through the speakers. As they drove, Roman closed his eyes and listened contentedly as Lucy quietly sang along, and a peaceful feeling settled over him.

We lay here for years, or for hours

Your hand in my hand, so still and discreet

So long, we become the flowers…

When they got to Roman’s house, he pulled a small tool kit out of his garage at Lucy’s request, carrying it along with a step ladder into his room. She was already in there waiting for him, tying her hair up into a ponytail and staring at the wall, concentrating. He stood and watched her for a second, appreciating the look of quiet determination on her face- head tilted, eyebrows wrinkled slightly. She bit her lip, and Roman just barely resisted pulling her into his arms and kissing her senseless.

“Do you have painter's tape and a tape measure?” she asked, still looking at the wall, interrupting his thoughts about the myriad other ways he wanted to make her bite her lip.

“Should have that in here,” he said as he dug through the kit, shoving away the idea of bending her over his dresser, and eventually locating each requested item. 

“Excellent,” Lucy said, oblivious to his caveman moment as she turned to smile at him, “why don’t we measure each piece, and then we can put tape up where we think each one might go. To see how it looks outside of our heads?”

“I’m guessing you’ve tried doing this without that step before” Roman said, cocking a curious eyebrow.

Lucy chuckled. 

“Yep, lots of trial and error with that gallery wall,” she answered with a rueful grin, “never again.”

They got to work, and as Lucy stepped up on the ladder and bent forward to apply a rectangle of tape to represent the last picture in the center of the wall, he let his eyes fall on her rounded ass. She cleared her throat, and Roman’s eyes widened and shot upwards to find Lucy grinning smugly down at him. 

He was caught. 

“You’re supposed to be looking at the artwork,” she chided, her voice cocky and teasing. 

Roman swallowed, then schooled his expression, stepping closer to the ladder.

“And that’s exactly what I’m doing, baby,” he rumbled as pressed against her, his chest now brushing her hip as he looked up at her. 

Lucy rolled her eyes playfully, but her smile turned wicked, her gaze lowering to land on his lips . She turned carefully at the waist to rest her hands on his shoulders and Roman wrapped his arms around her hips, lifting her right off of the ladder and pulling her towards himself. Lucy instinctively wrapped her legs around him and he eased her down, humming quietly as their bodies brushed against one another. He held her firmly as her legs landed at his waist, and her plush lips found his. He wrapped one large arm underneath her thighs and ass, holding her up as the other snuck around her back, his hand coming to wrap around her middle as their tongues danced together. Lucy's arms draped around Roman’s neck, fingers tangling in his hair. She moaned softly into his mouth, pushing her breasts against his solid chest, and desire began to simmer in Roman’s veins.

Lucy kissed him passionately, and Roman matched her fervor. He let the hand around her middle dip beneath the hem of her cutoff sweater, her skin like silk against his fingertips. He felt her shiver and tighten her thighs around him. One of her hands grabbed at his shirt, and he reluctantly set her down, immediately ridding himself of the offending article of clothing. Lucy was close behind, pulling her sweater over her head and tossing it aside. She filled the space between them and crashed her lips back into his, her fingers working at his zipper as she did so. Roman groaned again, finding the button on Lucy’s jeans and popping it open, pulling the fabric down roughly. Once both had kicked their pants aside, leaving Roman in his boxer briefs and Lucy in a - jesus- bright red thong and matching silk bra, he grabbed hold of her once more. 

His erection strained against the fabric of his underwear, and he ground it against Lucy as she kissed along his throat, working her way up to press her lips along his jaw. He grabbed her hips and spun them both around, earning a surprised squeak from her as he walked her backwards, pressing her firmly between the wall and himself. Lucy groaned, and Roman sighed hungrily as the glorious sound hit his ears. He kissed her hard, bruising both of their lips as one hand cupped her breast, massaging it through the smooth fabric. Lucy let her head fall back against the wall, the nails of her left hand digging into his lower back. The other she let drift along his bicep- he mentally noted how much she seemed to enjoy running her fingers over his tattoo, as goosebumps formed from her touch.

He moved his lips to the sensitive skin at the pulse point on her neck, drawing out another breathy moan. He trailed his mouth down to her chest, kissing her sternum before lowering himself to his knees. Both hands ghosted over her round breasts now, her nipples hard pebbles against the silk. He pinched them both, and Lucy gasped as he rolled them between his fingers before sliding his hands back to unclasp her bra. He laid a kiss on her stomach as she discarded the bra. She looked down at him with heavy, lidded eyes, tangling one hand in his hair once again as the other palmed at her breast. He watched her, transfixed as her pink nipple was squeezed between two of her fingers, and her eyes closed as she relished the sensation. 

Roman turned his focus back to his mouth, drawing it over every inch of her torso. His tongue darted out to lick a stripe along the curve of her hip, and he nipped gently at the soft flesh. She released a feral sounding groan at that, and Roman could feel precum leaking from the tip of his hardened cock. He palmed at himself over his boxer briefs as he brushed his lips over the spot where his teeth had been. His hands wandered to the globes of Lucy’s ass, grabbing it firmly as he kissed just above the hem of her panties. She shifted her hips so that her covered pussy bumped against his nose and he pinched her ass, making her jump. She tugged at the root of his hair, and Roman grinned as he continued his trail of kisses in quick succession, still palming her ass firmly with his fingers. 

“Always so impatient,” he whispered against her, hooking one hand in the strap of her underwear and tugging it down. 

Lucy stepped out of them and Roman slid her panties into the growing pile of abandoned clothes. He dragged tongue against her slit, already wet with her sweet arousal. He slid his tongue between the lips, letting the taste of her fill his mouth. 

“Roman,” she groaned emphatically, and his cock twitched as he brought his tongue up to swirl at her clit.

He flicked it over the sensitive nub a few times, feeling Lucy’s thighs quiver as he did. He stood up abruptly, ridding himself of his underwear. He brought his forehead down to hers, cupping her jaw in his large hand as he placed another burning kiss on her lips. 

“Like I said,” he said in between breathless kisses, tightening the hand on her ass for emphasis as his eyes bore into hers, the deep bass of his voice rumbling in his chest, “a work of fucking art.”

Lucy let out a sound that was part moan, part whimper as she gazed up at him, her eyes shining. 

Roman growled and lifted her off of the floor, resting her legs in the crooks of his strong arms, hoisting her up so that her pussy was hovering perfectly over his cock. He pressed his tip against her wet opening, and Lucy gripped onto his shoulders, biting at her lip as she braced herself, practically vibrating with anticipation. He slid his cock into her tight, eager pussy, and she let out a noisy breath as she was pushed solidly into the wall. He pulled out and pushed in again, harder, and Lucy released a delicious sounding moan. 

Roman began to fuck her in earnest, setting a firm, steady pace. Her nails dug into his back and his eyes squeezed shut as her heavenly slick warmth gripped at his cock. He had never fit into someone so perfectly as he did with Lucy. He tentatively moved one hand up to palm at her breast, being careful to ensure she wouldn’t fall. She groaned again when his fingers pinched at her nipple, and after a moment he felt one of her hands pulling gently at his wrist, nudging it upwards.

He opened his eyes, his hips slowing as met her gaze. Her eyes glimmered as she slid his hand to rest on her throat, posing a silent question. Heat licked at Roman’s spine, and his mouth curved into a half smirk, bracketing his fingers on either side, and intensified the pace of his throbbing cock. Lucy’s mouth split into a big smile and she closed her eyes, leaning into the grip of his hand.

He deepened his thrusts, burying himself to the hilt before pulling out and sliding hard back into her dripping pussy. Her gorgeous tits bounced as Roman fucked her; her brown curls swaying; the soft plush of her thighs and ass pressing into him every time their bodies met. 

“Fuck, Roman, just like that,” Lucy panted, and Roman bent his head to rest on her shoulder. 

Her velvet walls gripped snugly around him, and he knew she was getting close. He tightened his hold around her hip, intoxicated by the feeling of her pulse beneath the fingers he held around her throat. Pounding into her with everything he had, Roman’s head was spinning. He felt a surge of primal, possessive energy coursing through him, immediately breaking through to the surface.

“Mine,” he growled into the crook of her neck, the thought escaping his lips too quickly for him to stop it. 

Before he could even begin to second guess the declaration, Lucy’s moan echoed through his room. 

“Yes, baby, fuck” she cried out, her voice shaky as she barreled toward her release, Roman’s cock rapidly sliding in and out of her drenched, perfect core, “say it again, Ro,”

“Mine,” he ground out again, lifting his lips so they brushed against the shell of her ear, “you are all mine.” 

Lucy yelled his name one final time as her orgasm hit, her pussy squeezing him impossibly tighter as her body trembled. Roman held her close to him - firmly; protectively- as he snapped his hips roughly into her, chasing his own release as her wetness trailed across his stomach, dripping down and reaching his balls. He kissed a bruise into her neck, only tearing his mouth away to release a guttural moan as he came, his cock buried deep inside of her. He continued to thrust into her, his hips moving increasingly slower until he felt himself softening. 

He gently pulled out and eased her shaking legs down to step the floor, guiding her over to the bed. He grabbed the soft throw at the end of his mattress and draped it over her as she settled back against his pillows. Roman fell more than laid beside her, wrapping his arm around her waist. He bent forward and gave her a soft kiss on the lips, then placed another on her forehead, his chest rising and falling as they continued to catch their breath. 

“I’ll be right back, sweetheart,” he murmured into her hair, waiting for her to nod before standing up and making his way to the bathroom. 

He grabbed a washcloth, dampening it with warm water and wiping himself down before bringing another out to Lucy. She sighed happily as he ran it softly between her thighs, cleaning her off thoroughly. Roman deposited the towels in his hamper before wrapping himself back around Lucy, turning on his side and joining her under the soft blanket. She turned onto her side as well, burrowing into his chest, and he melted as her smaller body folded into his. 

Lucy ran her fingers in delicate circles over his pec, soft breaths ghosting over his chest. Roman tucked her head beneath his chin, tangling his legs with hers and letting his hand rub softly up and down her back. As they laid curled together, exchanging tender touches and quiet appreciations -

“So amazing,” she whispered as she brushed feather light kisses against his clavicle.

“Absolutely perfect,” he murmured, running his hand along her hip.

“Fucking incredible,” she breathed as he kissed softly over her neck, soothing the spots his hand had been.

“Always so good for me,” he said, almost like a prayer in its softness.

- the possessive spark Roman had felt when he was inside of her was replaced with a feeling of surrender. His primal urge to claim and protect now manifested into a raw, deeper wish to lay himself bare. He carefully pulled her closer so that she was flush against him, laying another kiss on the crown of her head.

Lucy sighed happily, pulling back gently and bringing up a hand to tuck a piece of hair behind his ear. She smiled up at him dreamily, and Roman felt a tug in his chest. 

Yours, he thought as he gazed down into her eyes, I am all yours. 

____________

The two of them laid tangled in his bed, recovering and replenishing their spent energy for over an hour, Roman only leaving Lucy’s side to briefly run downstairs to retrieve water. 

She turned to face the wall where the tape they’d hung up sat, forgotten amongst their throes of passion. She snuggled back into him and he spooned her happily, tucking his knees into hers and pulling her back into his chest. 

“I think that placement looks good,” Lucy said, and Roman followed her eyes to where they landed on the wall. 

“Yeah, I think so, too,” he replied, “but let’s not hang them up just yet. I’d rather stay right here- warm in this bed, with a beautiful woman in my arms.”

Lucy hummed her agreement, but not a moment later, Roman’s stomach grumbled loudly, and she giggled, rotating her body to face him.

“I think your stomach begs to differ there, babe,” she said with a grin, and he chuckled softly, “and I’m getting kind of hungry, too.”

“Yeah, okay, let’s eat,” Roman said with a nod, “Here-” he said, pausing as stood and walked over to his closet, and he felt her watching him curiously. 

He pulled a black sweatshirt off of its hanger, bringing it over to the bed. 

“Want to wear this?” he asked, holding it out to her. 

Lucy beamed when her eyes landed on the Hounds of Justice logo on the front, and she eagerly took it from him. She slipped it over her head and body, and just as he’d imagined, it hung down over her hips to sit at the top of her thighs, and the sleeves came down to cover all but the tips of her fingers. 

“Mmm, this is cozy,” she said, flopping herself back against the pillows.

“Good,” Roman said with a grin, “you can stay up here, it should just take a few minutes to get the food ready,” he said, lifting the top of the bench at the end of his bed and pulling out a couple of folding trays, “how does lunch in bed sound? I’ll just run down and heat everything up.” 

“Sounds great,” Lucy said with a smile, “sure you don’t need help carrying up the dishes or anything?” 

“Nope,” Roman said, punctuating his answer with a quick kiss, “but do you want to pick out a movie or something to watch while we eat?”

While he waited for the food to heat, Roman spotted the flowers from the fair that they’d hastily left on the counter. He pulled a vase from a cupboard next to the sink and filled it with water before placing the flowers in it.

He went back upstairs carrying two plates of tortellini, leaving Lucy’s ziti tray intact- he’d never hear the end of it from his mom if he didn’t. As he stepped into his room, he took a moment to admire the sight before him. 

Lucy lounged on his bed, her legs stretched out before her, wearing only his hoodie and a peaceful smile as she looked for something for them to watch. He was excited to go out on tour with her and his boys, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t love the feeling of this simple, quiet domesticity. 

Roman and Lucy arranged the food on the trays and he quickly ran back downstairs to bring up the flowers, placing them on the nightstand closest to her. 

They enjoyed their lunch, and Lucy raved about the tortellini. Roman smiled to himself- if there was one thing he never doubted, it was his mom’s cooking. 

“I actually bought that candle for her, as a thank you for the food,” Lucy said when she was finished, grinning over at him. 

There was that fluttery feeling in his chest again. 

“She’ll love that,” Roman said with an affectionate smile. 

He wouldn’t push, but he quietly hoped that the gesture meant she was planning to meet her sometime in the near future. 

They stayed in bed for a while after their lunch before finally getting up to finish hanging the pictures. After Roman banged his thumb for the second time, Lucy took the hammer from him, chuckling at the small pout he tried and failed to suppress. She got the nails hung almost effortlessly while he handled the level. 

Once they were satisfied, they admired their work, standing across the room for perspective as Roman held Lucy against him with his arms around her waist. They were his purchase, in his house, but something about picking them out and hanging them together made it feel like the art was theirs- like a little bit of Lucy had settled into his home. 

Roman decided, in that moment, that he really, really liked that feeling.

"Hey, big dog, we're on in ten," Dean said from across the locker room all three men shared, not looking up from taping his wrist.

Standing up and shaking his head, willing his mind to focus, Roman walked over to where Seth was dumping a water bottle over his head and proceeded to do the same.

"You good, man?" Seth asked, discarding the now empty bottle and rolling into a handstand to loosen up, "You've definitely seemed a bit…distracted since you got back from seeing Lucy."

Roman flipped back his dripping locks and nodded his head, giving Seth a small smile.

"I'm better than good. Over lunch, Lucy told me she lives in Tampa."

Dean walked over to join the two men and lightly punched Roman on the shoulder.

"That's awesome, Ro," he said, bouncing on the balls of his feet and punching the air in front of him.

"Totally," Seth agreed, returning to standing position, "but is that all that's going on up there?" he asked, tapping Roman's temple and raising a skeptical eyebrow.

Roman let out a sigh and shook his head, knowing he could never keep anything from his brothers.

"Before we went out, things got a little heated," Roman said, purposely avoiding eye contact with either man. He knew he was being stupid- he could tell these two anything without judgment- but he felt idiotic to be getting so worked up over what was really just kissing.

"Heated like…" Dean trailed off, raising his hands towards Roman's chest and making a grabbing motion, a puckish smile on his face.

"Dear god, Dean, one day I will teach you the meaning of the word tact," Seth said, though his voice did little to hide the laugh within it. He reached over and shoved Dean gently before turning to Roman with a straight face.

"Nothing like that," Roman answered, growing more embarrassed by the second. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck before continuing, "we kissed for a bit and before I knew it, we were laying on her bed and my hands were all over her. I might have enjoyed it a bit too much, and there's no way she could have missed it. I mean," he continued, raising his eyebrows and nodding towards his lower half,"it was obvious."

"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about," Dean said casually, "and, hey? Maybe it's not a bad thing. At least she knows she turns you on. That's something."

"Yeah, I guess so," Roman said, shrugging, "I just don't want her to feel like that's the only reason I want her around, you know? Like I'm just a slime ball who picks up a girl in every city we go to."

"Rome, for your first date, you brought her to meet the two people in the world who know every embarrassing thing about you," Seth said, grabbing Roman's shoulders and forcing him to look him in the eye, "I don't know about you, but that doesn't exactly scream quick bang to me, and I highly doubt it will to Lucy. Give her some credit, dude."

"Alright guys, as much as I'm digging this love fest, we've got some asses to kick so Roman can go back and nail his girl," Dean said, moving to open the door. Just as Roman was opening his mouth to reply, Dean turned around and laughed, "It was a joke. C'mon, anyone can see you're a great guy."

Giving both his brothers a grateful smile, Roman followed as Seth and Dean walked out of the room.

Let's hope she thinks so.

The door to Lucy's hotel room opened almost immediately after Roman's first knock.

"Well, hello there!" she greeted, smiling up at him. She pulled the door open wider, allowing him to come in, "I'm glad you got the pajama memo." Lucy was wearing a pair of navy and pink striped pajama pants and a matching pink tank top.

Roman was wearing a pair of red gym shorts and simple black tank top, and decided to go barefoot, seeing as he was only traveling across a hallway.

"Yep," he grinned, shutting the door behind both of them, "I only left off my bunny slippers. Figured that was more of a fifth date type thing."

"Well, doesn't that sound adorable," Lucy giggled and walked over to the bed closest to the window. She hopped onto it and sat crossed legged.

You're adorable.

"I brought us some ice cream," Roman said, holding up the paper grocery bag in his hand, "I didn't know what you'd like so I got a bunch."

He walked over to the small refrigerator by the television and placed the bag inside.

"I guess we both had food on the brain," Lucy said as Roman walked back towards her. She nodded her head toward the table, "I ordered Philly cheesesteaks from the place around the corner. Do you like them?"

Roman smiled and sat next to her on the bed.

"Love 'em," he said, "should we eat now and then watch the movie, or eat while we watch?"

"Hmmm. Let's eat and watch," Lucy said, jumping up and heading over to the table. She opened up the bag of sandwiches and began to unwrap them.

"Alright, sounds good," Roman said, going over to the table and grabbing plates. He took the sandwiches from her and placed each one on a plate, "did you have a movie in mind?"

"How about Clue? I saw one of the channels advertising it was going to come on in a few minutes," Lucy replied as she grabbed her sandwich and settled back down on the bed. She scooted up so her back was against the headboard and her food balanced on her lap.

"I've never seen it," Roman stated, climbing into the bed next to Lucy and mirroring the way she was sitting. When his arm brushed up against Lucy's, his skin tingled, "Is it any good?"

Lucy stared at Roman for a second, her eyes lighting up and her mouth slightly open in surprise.

"Seriously? It's my favorite movie. Of all time," she finally replied, an excited smile growing on her face.

"Awesome," Roman said, returning her enthusiasm, "I can't wait to watch it, then."

For the next hour and a half, Roman and Lucy ate and watched the film, enjoying each other's company immensely. After they finished eating, Roman boldly placed his arm around Lucy's shoulder, his heart pounding wildly. She smiled shyly up at him with a gleam in her eye and snuggled into his side, draping her arm over his midsection and resting her head against his shoulder. He released a relieved breath and lowered his arm a bit so that his hand gripped her waist. Roman returned his attention to the movie, enjoying the closeness. The two watched the rest of the movie that way, Roman absolutely loving the feeling of Lucy's stomach vibrating against him every time she laughed. When the credits started to roll, Lucy reached across Roman and grabbed the remote from next to him. She turned off the television and shifted so she could look at him.

"So, what did you think?" she asked him, her eyes wide and an inquisitive look on her face, "about the movie, I mean."

"It was great! Really funny. How have I never seen that one before?" Roman answered, looking down at her and smiling. He could get used to this.

"You must live under a rock," she teased.

Roman got a devilish look on his face and wiggled his fingers into Lucy's sides. Just as he'd hoped, she instantly squirmed and started laughing like crazy.

"Okay, okay," she cried out, between gasps for air, "I take it back!"

Roman relented his tickling and settled on his back, sliding down the bed so that his head was lying on the pillow. He bent his left arm back so it was propping up his head under the pillow, while the right remained around Lucy's waist.

"Speaking of living," he said, an earlier thought popping into his head, "I was wondering about something."

"Okay, shoot," Lucy replied.

"You said you live in Tampa earlier," Roman began, and Lucy nodded her agreement, "what brings you to be staying in a hotel in Orlando? Anything special?"

"I'm a writer for a magazine called Living the Local Life based around the Bay Area," Lucy said, moving her upper body so her chin rested against Roman's chest as they spoke, "and the staff for the Orlando edition was short handed this week."

"That's so cool," Roman said, absentmindedly running his fingers through Lucy's soft curls, "what kind of articles do you write?"

"Well, it really depends week to week," Lucy continued, letting her fingers trace over the tattoo on Roman's bicep. It sent a shiver through his body, "sometimes I cover new restaurant openings, art festivals, concerts, anything culture related."

"Interesting…" Roman said, "So I guess if I wanted to, you know, hypothetically take out a girl for a fancy date night back home, you'd know just the place?" he asked, smiling wide.

Lucy returned his smile, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks, and nodded.

"Yeah, I could probably help you out there," she answered.

"Awesome," he replied, "because, not to shoot myself in the foot here, but I am absolutely hopeless when it comes to the whole dating thing."

As soon as it came out of his mouth, Roman cringed internally.

I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to say that to the girl you're attempting to romance. Idiot.

Luckily, Lucy didn't seem to be phased by it, or at least she didn't show it.

"That makes two of us," she said, her smile dropping momentarily and her face turning thoughtful. As soon as Roman was about to panic, her face lit up again. "You could've fooled me, though. Meeting your friends; Thai food; a ridiculous amount of ice cream- I'm starting to feel spoiled."

Roman's stomach did a flip-flop.

"I'm glad you've been having fun," Roman said, bringing his left hand down from his head to meet his other around Lucy's back, drawing her closer to him, "I really like spending time with you," he continued, his voice dropping a bit and a seriousness coming over his face, "I want you know, Lucy. I guess I just kind of blew this notion away, but," Roman stumbled over his words, suddenly very nervous. "I-um. I don't do this-" he pointed his finger back and forth between the two of them, "a lot."

Lucy's face turned contemplative, and she looked almost…relieved.

"That's definitely good to hear," she said, exhaling as she spoke, "It's been a while for me, too. I imagine for you guys it's pretty tough. Traveling around and all that."

"Yeah, it does make for a challenge," Roman agreed, debating on saying what he really wanted to.

In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess.

"By the way, when I said 'not a lot', what I really meant is never. As in, I never date. At all," he finished, his heart beat going crazy at this point. Roman wasn't used to making himself so vulnerable.

"Really?" Lucy asked, her face suddenly unreadable. She was quiet for a moment, and suddenly she sat up slowly. "I hope you don't think I'm expecting anything. I mean, I've had a wonderful couple days getting to know you," she was speaking quickly, avoiding his eyes, "but if you're not comfortable with this sort of thing, I understa-"

"Oh god, Lucy, no," Roman interrupted, sitting up too now, so he could look her in the eye, "That's not what I meant at all." He ran his fingers through his hair, giving them both a moment to calm down. Overcome with the urge to comfort her, Roman took both of Lucy's hands in his and waited until she looked up at him.

"I told you, I'm terrible at this," he said with a half smile, earning a light chuckle from Lucy, "what I was trying to say is, I have never tried this with anyone since I've joined the business. I've never let myself get close enough to anyone to put any effort into a relationship. I know we've only just met, but," he took a deep breath before he continued, "I feel…something, when I'm with you. Like I've known you for a long time."

"I feel it too, Roman," Lucy said quietly, staring deep into his eyes, "I felt it almost immediately. I was so happy when you came knocking on my door last night. I was debating doing the same thing," she confessed.

Roman's smile brightened, and he pulled her back down so she was laying on top of him again.

"So, remember how I told you I had next week off?" Roman asked, and Lucy nodded, "I'm going to be home for that time, and I'll be seeing my parents one of those days, but I was wondering if you'd like to spend some time together?"

"Absolutely," Lucy answered, her features glowing now, "I would love that. I mean, if you're not sick of me by the end of this week."

"Something tells me that's not going to happen," Roman said, rubbing his thumb against the skin of her lower back that was exposed. She felt so soft to his touch.

For a few moments, the two of them just stared at one another with their eyes locked. Both of them were breathing heavily, taking in the emotional conversation. Roman was positive Lucy could hear his heart pounding, and he didn't miss the flush taking over her face and chest.

He watched as her eyes fluttered to his lips, her pupils dilating. She looked back up to his eyes and studied them, biting her lip. Taking her cue, Roman reached his hand to stroke her cheek and dragged his thumb softly along her bottom lip. Lucy closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, letting out a contented sigh.

Roman used the arm around Lucy to pull her even closer to him, and leaned his head forward to press his lips against hers, and his hand slid into her hair instinctively. She let out a tiny surprised sound, but didn't hesitate in kissing him back. A groan from deep in Roman's chest escaped as he felt her tongue against the seam of his lips, and he opened his mouth for her to explore. Lucy was kissing him passionately now, definitely taking control, but Roman had no problem with that. Her lips were so warm and soft- it was making him almost dizzy. He slid his hand under the hem of her shirt, exploring the flesh of her back and hips. She was so silky soft everywhere and he couldn't get enough. Roman felt Lucy running her hand under the top of his tank top, her fingers sending sparks against the muscles in his chest.

She moved her lower body so she was straddling his hips now, pressing up against his growing erection. She let out a hum approval, digging her nails slightly into his skin. Reluctantly, she drew back from the kiss and they both took in a huge breath of fresh air. Lucy rested her forehead against Roman's, her deep breaths ghosting over his face. Roman looked up at the beautiful girl above him, and he felt like his whole body was on fire.

Lucy sat up and, with a spark in her eye and not a bit of hesitation, lifted her shirt off over her head. She threw it to the floor next to the bed and looked back at Roman, waiting for a reaction.

Roman took in a sharp breath, his eyes now at half-mast. She looked so picturesque, sitting on top of him in her white, lacy bra. He ran his fingers up and down her sides, his gaze smoldering. Lucy reached forward and slid her hand up his shirt, caressing his abs.

"So beautiful…" he murmured, slowly exploring her stomach with his hands, her skin warm and smooth to the touch.

"Quid pro quo, Mister Reigns," she said, cocking her eyebrow and smiling at him expectantly.

Letting out a small laugh, Roman sat up and raised his arms in the air, giving her a big grin and an equally expectant stare.

Lucy shook her head and giggled, then reached forward and grasped the edge of his tank, pulling it up and over his head, throwing it on top of hers on the floor. Lucy ran her eyes up and down his bare torso, a hungry look on her face. She reached out a timid hand and traced the intricate artwork on Roman's chest, while he simply took in the sight before him and enjoyed the feeling of Lucy's hands. Roman closed his eyes and relished the sensations for a moment, letting out a few low noises of approval.

When his eyes opened, they were met with Lucy's boring into him. Not able to resist any longer, he sat up and wrapped his arms around her and turned them over so she was underneath him. He made himself comfortable between her legs and bent down to lay a kiss on the side of her neck.

"Mmm, yeah, right there," she whispered breathlessly. He growled and kissed her sensitive skin with more fervor, loving the taste of her on his tongue. Roman could tell there was going to be a bruise from the way he was attacking her, but from the sounds she was making Lucy wasn't too concerned. He continued to lay hot, open mouth kisses along the point where neck met her shoulder. Growing bolder, Roman nipped the flesh with his teeth, which caused a gasp from Lucy before he placed a light kiss over it to soothe the area. She rocked her hips up into his and sunk her nails into his back.

Roman placed small kisses up her neck, along her jawline and found his way back into her mouth. She grabbed ahold of his muscular back and pulled him impossibly closer, meeting his kiss hungrily. Roman ground his hips up against hers and slid his hands around her back, finding the clasp to her bra. He drew back from the kiss, looking into her eyes for any sign of hesitation.

"Go for it, Ro," she said, her emerald eyes glowing with anticipation. Roman's heart fluttered at the term of endearment and reached down to give her a simple, sweet kiss as he unhooked her bra and pulled it off, adding it to the growing pile.

Her breasts were absolutely perfect- full, soft, pale round flesh and pink nipples, hard both from arousal and the sudden burst of air. Roman kissed the space between the two before he took her left nipple in her mouth, teasing the right with his fingers. Lucy let out a moan, arching her back towards him. Roman gave her right breast the same treatment with his mouth, sucking on her nipple and flicking it with his tongue. Lucy continued to mewl and writhe beneath him.

"So-" He said, peppering kisses down her stomach between each word, "fucking. Gorgeous."

Roman stopped his ministrations for a second and looked up at her face, brown eyes melting into green, "I mean it, Lucy. You are the most stunning woman I have ever seen."

Lucy turned pink, a blush going from her cheeks all the way through to her chest.

"Not so bad yourself there, handsome," she said quietly, a gaze full of sincerity on her face. The air between them was thick, and for a moment everything stilled as Roman and Lucy stared at one another.

Roman could feel a spark hanging in the air. A spark that felt not quite like love, but at the same time, not entirely unlike it.

Whoa, there, slow down, he thought to himself.

"However," Lucy broke the silence, a lighter tone to her voice, "I think we're uneven again. You have far too many clothes on."

"Technically," he said, looking down at himself and back at her, "we are even. We're both topless," he finished, smiling smugly.

"Just take your pants off, smart ass," Lucy said, playfully smacking at his chest.

"So bossy," he said with a grin, standing up off of the bed and sliding his shorts off and tossing them to the side.

Lucy's eyes raked over his body and lingered a bit over Roman's tight gray boxer briefs, doing very little to hide the bulge beneath them. Roman fidgeted for a moment, suddenly feeling self conscious under her scrutiny.

Never breaking eye contact with him, Lucy slowly raised her hips and tugged at her pants, sliding them down. Roman groaned and grabbed them as they reached her knees, pulling them the rest of the way down and tossed them away.

Her white lace panties were sheer and left very little to the imagination. Both of them were breathing heavily now, and Roman got back onto the bed, climbing over her body slowly, and claimed her mouth in a searing kiss. Their mouths were more animalistic this time, both tongues battling for dominance. Roman's hand found Lucy's breast again and pinched her nipple between his fingers, causing her to moan into his mouth and grab a handful of his impressive erection through his underwear.

"Holy crap," she breathed out shakily, as he moved, kissing her neck again and gently thrust into the palm of her hand. He moaned loudly as she moved her hand up and down his length, and his hand traveled from her breasts slowly down her stomach and left thigh right up to the edge of her panties. He ran his fingers over the soft fabric and felt that it was soaking wet. He placed a final gentle kiss on her collarbone and lifted his head so he could look her in the eye.

"God, you're so wet," he said in a husky tone as he slipped a finger inside and ran it up and down her folds, groaning at the feeling, "is that all for me, baby?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded, pushing her hips up in a silent plea for more, stroking his still covered cock faster as she did so. Happy to grant her wish, Roman ran his finger up and down her a few more times before finding her sensitive nub and brushing his thumb across it.

"Oh my god, Roman," Lucy cried out and threw her head back, and did she ever look beautiful falling apart for him. His confidence growing, Roman continued his assault on her clit and brought his other hand down to place a finger inside her warm center. She felt so tight and warm around his finger, and Roman thought he might come just at that.

"Fuck, you're so good at that," she panted, abandoning her stroke on him to grip frantically at the sheets beneath them. Roman paid no attention to the twitch his cock gave, his only goal in this moment to bring her to release. He added a second finger and thrust them both in and out repeatedly, not relenting on her clit. "I'm close, I'm so close, I'm going to come baby," she said erratically, as he sped up his thumb and his fingers began to thrust deeper and harder.

"Let go for me, sweetheart. Let me hear those beautiful sounds," he said, his eyes never leaving her face for fear of missing the moment. His words must have pushed her over the edge because suddenly her walls were tightening around him and his hands were flooded.

"Roman! YES! Oh, god, Roman!" she screamed through her climax, clearly unaware or unconcerned about possibly being heard by the neighboring room. After she came down, she opened her eyes and stared into Roman's.

He slowly lifted his hands and licked them clean, his eyes rolling at the sweet taste of her. She grabbed at his head and brought him up to her for a sensual kiss. Their kisses were softer and sweeter this time, and Roman felt her hands all over his stomach and back, exploring every inch of him.

As they continued to exchange kisses for a few minutes, Roman felt Lucy's hand go into his underwear and grab his rock hard length. He moaned at the contact and Lucy started to stroke him fervently. He bucked and groaned, their kisses turned sloppy, and Roman knew he wasn't going to last long. She started to stroke him faster, breaking away from their lip lock to kiss along his chest and shoulders.

"Lucy, baby, oh my-" his words were fragmented, his brain getting cloudy, "just like that. Fuck! Oh my god, yes." Lucy stroked him faster and twisted her wrist around his head. She kissed her way up to his ear and licked around the shell.

"Come for me, Superman," she whispered, her breath hot on his ear and neck. The stimulation was all too much for him and Roman came with a roar, his cum shooting out in big spurts as she stroked him through his release. For a second his vision turned white.

When the aftershocks wore off, he bent down and gave Lucy a peck on the nose before rolling onto the bed next to her. The two of them stayed that way for a few minutes, catching their breath and basking in the euphoria. Roman finally got up and went into the bathroom to clean himself off. He decided to leave his now sticky briefs on the pile of clothes and just pull his shorts on. He grabbed Lucy's pants and tank and handed them to her.

"Thanks," she smiled and slipped the tank over head. She too decided to remove her soaked panties and slip her pants on, causing Roman to give a small groan at the sight. "Easy tiger," she laughed, making him blush and laugh as well, "so…ice cream?"

"Yeah!" he nodded, enthusiastically. As she got up to go to the refrigerator, Roman caught her hand and pulled her into him. "That was absolutely amazing," he said, his tone genuine. He smoothed her hair away from her face and got lost in her eyes for the millionth time that night.

I am falling so hard for you.

"It really was incredible. Just like you," she said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him lightly. She walked over to the fridge and pulled out one of the small containers.

"Ooh, chocolate caramel swirl. My favorite," Lucy grinned and opened the lid, grabbing two spoons off of the counter, "sound good?"

"Perfect," Roman replied dreamily, talking about much more than the dessert.

After the two had finished eating, Roman crawled into bed with Lucy and gathered her up into his arms. He flipped the light off and the two talked for a while, until all Roman heard from Lucy was her gentle breathing. Smiling to himself, he drew the covers up over both them and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. After a few moments, Roman drifted off into a warm, blissful sleep, completely wrapped around Lucy.

While he'd been planning on surprising Lucy with this scenario since practically the second she’d straddled his lap in that hockey stadium, he couldn’t have imagined how intense it would be for both of them. As he’d jogged over after the Shield match, his heart was pounding from more than just the cardio. His fingers had shaken as he unlocked the door, and he almost dropped the keys. It had taken him a moment to regain his composure when he stepped into the dark gym, but the second he’d laid eyes on her, dimly lit by the sole lamp in the corner, his nerves turned to excitement. Then he’d slipped into character, and they’d been off to the races. 

It had only been toward the very end that Roman had felt his persona slip away completely. He’d had her up her knees, pressed firmly against him, quivering and moaning as he pumped in and out of her tight, warm heat, and his damn vest and gloves were the only things stopping him from feeling every single inch of her. Once he’d stripped them off, he’d pulled her back to him, pressing the silken skin of her back against his sweat soaked chest, wanting to be joined as closely together as two people could possibly be. 

The way she’d looked into his eyes from the moment he’d stepped through the door, her gaze full of desire, and trust, and -

Goddamn it, he thought.

- what he desperately hoped was love. 

He’d given up all pretense as he held her close, fighting the urge to cry out the words that would surely send her running for the hills. Too much. Too soon. Too fast.

And, yet…

Despite all of his efforts, the words that he had struggled to swallow had almost escaped as he’d reached his climax. He was saved by the fact that she’d taken his breath away when she’d come, moaning louder than he’d ever heard her and squeezing around him in the most heavenly way. His heart had felt like it might burst out of his chest, but thankfully his more carnal instincts took control, pushing him over the edge and leaving him momentarily, mercifully, speechless.

Now, as he listened to the soft, steady breathing of a sleeping Lucy, he was relieved that he’d kept those particular thoughts quiet.

For now. 

A voice in the back of his head was telling him that when it was the right time– the right moment, for both of them– he would know. 

Lucy stirred against him, and his eyes opened slowly, and the moment the room came into focus was the moment that Roman realized they were not in their hotel room. He slid his mouth to rest just beside Lucy’s ear.

“We fell asleep,” he said in a deep, quiet voice.

“Mhmm,” Lucy hummed against his left arm, which she was using as a pillow, and not moving a muscle. 

Roman chuckled softly, rubbing his right hand lightly across her lower back.

“As much as I want to stay right here,” he said, voice a tad louder now, “I think you’ll be far more comfortable in an actual bed.”

Lucy made a whiny groan as she rolled to face him with tired eyes and a small, dreamy smile. 

“Fine, you’re probably right,” she agreed in a scratchy voice that lit a tiny spark in Roman every time he heard it. 

The sound was evidence of a blissful sleep, of moaning of his name, of his hand around her neck. 

Not to mention swallowing him down her throat until his vision blacked out.

She blinked her eyes a few times as she woke up, and her expression shifted, almost like she was calculating something. Before he could comment on it, Lucy quickly maneuvered herself on top of him and placed her hands on his shoulders, pinning him to the mat with a mischievous grin. He laughed loudly before hitting his right hand down against the canvas.

“One, two, three!” he called in the best announcer voice he could muster, smacking the mat in succession with the count. 

Lucy sat back on his waist and threw up her arms in victory with a giggle before bending down to kiss him, taking his face in her hands as she did, her soft curls falling in a curtain around them. He pressed his lips gently against hers, resting his hands on her thighs as he did. 

“I guess we should head back before this place opens up, huh?” Lucy asked, still leaning over him, green eyes sparkling. 

Roman reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Probably the best plan,” he agreed with a fond smile, though he made no effort to move. 

“Too bad,” Lucy said, looking around the ring, “I could definitely think of a few more things to try in here.”

“Next time,” Roman said, tracing along her thigh with his finger. 

Lucy turned her gaze back to him as her mouth curved into an intrigued smile.

“Next time?” she repeated, cocking an eyebrow.

“Don’t forget, I’ve got family connections in the business, too, babe,” he replied with a wink and a smirk.

The two of them made short work of getting dressed, and Roman gathered up both of their duffel bags before they took a car back to the hotel. Thankfully, it was still earlier than either of them thought, so he had plenty of time to get more sleep once they arrived. As they walked through the door, he and Lucy did little else but dump their bags in a corner and collapse into bed, falling almost immediately back into a peaceful sleep.

____

Late Sunday evening, after the last house show of the week, they’d caught a late flight and were settling into their room in Paris. This was the stop Roman was most excited for, particularly when it came to spending time with Lucy. They were, of course, going to see all the greatest hits- Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, a walk along the Seine- but they hoped to see a few things outside of the tourist attractions, too, if they got the chance. They had set Thursday aside completely as a free day, so they could take it easy or come up with plans in the moment before flying to Italy on Friday morning. 

“Are you hungry at all?” Lucy asked, returning to their room after setting up her toiletries in the bathroom, “I lost track of time before the show and didn’t feel like stadium food, so I skipped dinner.” 

“You read my mind,” Roman grinned up at her from where he was tucking his clothes into a drawer. He was always ravenous after a match, and his stomach was growling, “want to get some takeout?” 

“Sounds great to me,” she answered with a nod, “think the guys want to come over and join us? They’re probably hungry, too.”

“Dean definitely is,” he agreed, and Lucy chuckled, “and Seth would eat too, I’m sure.”

“I thought as much,” Lucy said with a proud smile, “plus I know you three haven’t had as much time together since I’ve been crashing the party. Figured maybe we’d all hang out.” 

Roman smiled softly to himself, sliding the drawer closed and turning to face Lucy, her eyes focused on her phone as she searched for somewhere to eat. 

Truthfully, he had missed hanging out with Dean and Seth. The three of them had been attached at the hip for so long that it felt a little strange to be thrown out of the routine they’d all gotten used to. But he was thrilled that Lucy was with him, and he knew that once it just was him and the guys again that he’d miss having her here, and he wanted to savor it as much as he could. 

Sharing a meal with all three of them would be the best of both worlds, and Roman was touched that Lucy had thought to suggest it. A warm feeling settled in his chest. 

“Here,” she said, tossing her phone to him. Roman caught it with ease as she walked over to the door, “everything sounds good, I can’t decide. Want to check out our options, and I’ll invite them?” 

“Go for it,” Roman said with a grin, turning his eyes to the screen as Lucy rapped on the door with her knuckles. 

“Just a sec!” Roman heard a muffled Seth call through the door. He scrolled through a decent looking menu before he heard an equally muffled, “come in!”

Lucy pulled the door open to reveal a rather rumpled looking Dean and Seth, and Roman laughed under his breath. He’d walked in on them a time or two, and he could see from the expressions on their faces that Lucy had been smart to knock. 

“What’s up?” Dean asked, smoothing back his hair. 

“We were gonna get some food- thought you might want to hang out and eat with us?” Lucy answered, holding the door open in invitation. 

“Oh thank god,” Dean answered, bouncing into the room eagerly, “I’m starving. We just got a little, um…” he said, flapping his hand towards his and Seth’s room, “distracted.” 

Roman snorted, and looked up to see a light blush on Seth’s cheeks as he followed Dean into the room.

“What are we having?” Seth asked, ignoring the knowing look Roman gave him and taking a seat at the small table in the corner. 

“How about gyros?” Roman suggested, walking over and handing the phone to Seth for him to peruse, “not a lot of places are open, but this place looks pretty good and it’s not far.” 

“I’ll eat Greek food any day of the week,” Lucy agreed happily, sitting on the foot of their bed. 

Roman joined her, pressing a kiss to her temple just because he felt like it. She leaned into his touch and snuggled up against him, resting her left hand on his right thigh.

“You know I’m not picky,” Dean shrugged, taking the phone when it was offered to him and nodding quickly at the menu before handing it back to Seth.

“Cool,” Lucy said, turning to rest her chin on Roman’s shoulder and looking up at him, “how about we order, and then you and I can run to pick it up?” 

“Sounds good,” Roman agreed, and turned to give Dean and Seth a playfully threatening glare, “but don’t be getting any crazy ideas while we’re gone. No hanky panky on my bed.” 

Dean guffawed, and it was Seth’s turn to snort.

“I mean, our room is right there,” Seth said flatly, “we wouldn’t need your bed.” 

“But where’s the fun in that?” Dean drawled, raising his eyebrows suggestively at Seth. 

Roman shook his head as Lucy laughed against his shoulder.

…

Bags of food retrieved, Roman and Lucy took their time walking the short distance back to their hotel. Hand in hand, the couple took in the relatively quiet night in Paris. The streets were lined with cafes, and patisseries, and the cream colored buildings with ironwork balconies and gray roofs that Roman recognized from various movies he’d seen over the years. While this was his second European tour, they hadn’t stopped in Paris the last time they were in France, so he and Lucy were seeing it all for the first time together.

“Just down there is Shakespeare and Company, the bookstore I was telling you about,” Lucy said, pointing down a street as they crossed over it, “it’s got a little cafe that looks out at Notre Dame attached to it.” 

“Can’t wait,” Roman said with a grin, “want to start there for coffee in the morning?” 

“Probably a good idea, that way I won’t be tempted to buy too many books,” she said with a light laugh, “I won’t want to lug them around all day.” 

“Hey, it’s arm day for me tomorrow. Buy as many as you want, maybe I won’t even need to go,” he responded with an encouraging grin, “it’s a win-win for everyone.”

“Enabler,” Lucy joked, but Roman caught an excited twinkle in her eye.

They followed the winding road until they were back at the hotel. To Roman’s relief, it looked like they had not, in fact, fooled around on his bed. Food was passed around and everyone settled in to eat- Lucy and Seth sat at the table while Roman and Dean opted for the floor, in an attempt to keep the bed free of crumbs and tzatziki. 

“So, how’s your first tour going so far, Luce?” Dean asked, “getting sick of this one yet?” he continued, hooking his thumb at Roman before taking a large bite of his pita. 

“Nah, not yet,” she said, skewering a piece of lamb on her fork and throwing a quick wink at Roman, “but man, they do keep you guys moving. How do you even remember where you are each night? I feel like I’d always be worried about saying the wrong city in a promo or something.” 

“I can honestly say I’ve never been worried about that,” Seth said with crinkled eyebrows, pointing at Lucy with the french fry held between his fingers, “but I am now.” 

“Sorry,” she said with a sheepish laugh as Dean and Roman both chuckled. 

Roman swallowed a mouthful of food and smiled to himself. Though she may not have realized it, Lucy had adapted remarkably quickly to the road life- much better than he had in the beginning. The previous day, Roman had gone to the gym with Seth in the morning, and came back to pack up his things to bring to the venue. He’d found that Lucy had already packed all of her bags before he got there, and had even gathered his things into a central location so that he could pack quickly, too. She had their schedule down pat, and places picked out to visit in each city, with back up plans in case their events changed, as they so often did. 

“Honestly, though, you get used to the schedule,” Dean said, “or at least, you get used to not really having a traditional schedule. The unpredictable becomes, well, predictable, I guess.”

“Yeah, once you’re in the bubble, it’s the only way you know how to live, I think,” Seth agreed, “the harder part- for me, anyway- is the home stuff. Putting in the work to see family and friends in the little time we have off, and remembering what life is like outside of all of this- that’s what’s tough to get the hang of.” 

Roman nodded his agreement, and he saw Lucy chewing thoughtfully as she listened.

“Your mom getting onto you about Thanksgiving again?” Roman asked, catching Seth’s eyes over his styrofoam container of food.

“I think she’s finally let it go, considering it’s in four days and I’m on another continent,” Seth said in a resigned tone, “but yeah, every year.” 

“You’ll make it up to her at Christmas,” Dean said, nudging Seth’s foot with his own. 

Seth nodded before taking another bite of his dinner.

One of the perks of coming from a wrestling family was that Roman’s parents and siblings all understood when he had to miss holidays and birthdays, but it was still hard for them. Seth’s family, he knew, were incredibly supportive of his career, but they had a rough time accepting that he wasn’t around very much. They didn’t hold back when reminding him, often, that he was missing out on important family time.

“My parents weren’t exactly thrilled, either,” Lucy admitted, drawing Roman’s attention. 

She hadn’t mentioned that her parents were upset about her not being home for the holiday to him. Seeing as it was entirely his fault, she may have been trying to spare him the guilt of taking her away from her family plans at the last minute, he reasoned.

Great, that’ll make for a perfect first impression, he thought wryly.

“What did…” Roman toyed around how to phrase his question, “how did you explain to them? I mean, I’m assuming you told them about…us?” he pointed back and forth between Lucy and himself. 

As soon as it left his mouth, he realized that this might be a conversation better had in private. Even if Dean and Seth were, well, Dean and Seth. But if Lucy was uncomfortable, it didn’t show, and the guys were simply listening with interest.

“Of course,” she said, with a soft laugh, “I didn’t go into, like, a crazy amount of detail or anything. I told them that I had started seeing someone, and had the chance to explore some of the places I’d dreamed about visiting for so long with that new someone. They’re both a bit overprotective and, like I said, they weren’t thrilled. But I’m happy to be here, and I think, deep down, they ultimately want me to be happy. So here I am,” she finished with a small grin and nonchalant shrug, before popping a stray piece of tomato in her mouth.

“The first one’s the hardest, I think,” Dean chimed in, and Lucy turned her attention to him, “I feel like most people are all gung ho and tell you to go for your dreams- until it affects them, you know? Then all of a sudden their tune changes. Once they see that the world keeps on turning, and that you haven’t forgotten all about them, they’ll come around.” 

“And they forget that it’s just as hard for us, sometimes,” Roman agreed, “that we miss them just as much as they miss us. But you get used to that part, too.”

“At least for me, this probably won’t be as regular of a thing,” Lucy said, “which I pointed out to them, numerous times. My mom was convinced that you were stealing me away and taking me on tour with you until the end of time.” 

They all laughed, and as the conversation continued, a twinge of disappointment nudged at Roman. He’d thought about it once or twice, and though he’d racked his brain, he couldn’t come up with a logical way to bring Lucy with him on tours more often. It wouldn’t be fair to ask her to sacrifice her regular life, or to switch jobs to something she could do on the road just because he’d miss her all the time– especially not this early on. And who knows if she’d even want to do that? It was selfish of him, and he knew that he had to take his own advice - make the time that you do have count.

“I am gonna miss that pumpkin pie on Thursday,” Seth said, interrupting his thoughts with a wistful half smile, spearing an olive on his fork, “there’s nothing quite like mom’s home cooking.” 

The whole group murmured their agreement, and they went on to discuss the various specialties their families made for Thanksgiving - pies, casseroles, potatoes of every type. As they spoke, Roman noticed that Lucy occasionally stared off, like her mind was drifting elsewhere. Not in a way that looked like she was upset or confused, but like she was deep in thought. He made a mental note to ask her about it later, and though his curiosity about her relationship with her parents continued to linger, he resolved not to pry. 

____

“The hotel is just a few blocks down,” Roman said, easily balancing a stack of books that Lucy was struggling to decide between, “I have plenty of time to drop these off, and I need to grab my gear anyway. You don’t have to choose.” 

Lucy furrowed her brow, gingerly pulling a book from the middle of the stack and looking it over. 

They’d started their morning off just as they’d planned, with coffee and pastries at Shakespeare and Company. Once they’d finished their breakfast, he and Lucy had taken their time wandering through the stacks of the bookstore side, and if there was a place Roman could have dreamt up to bring her to, this would have been it. Room after room, the store was covered in tall bookshelves, scattered fireplaces, and typewriters anchored onto the aged, wallpapered walls. He’d bet good money that she’d be back here at least once before they left France. The cities for each show were close enough to Paris that they’d decide to stay in the same hotel and drive to each one, instead of bouncing around, so she would certainly have the opportunity to visit again. 

Lucy would be sightseeing solo the rest of the day before coming to the Raw taping, and since Roman hadn’t been booked for any media this morning, he’d taken advantage of the small window of free time. 

“Yes, but,” she said, twisting her mouth to the side as she thought out loud, “how on Earth would I fit all of these in my luggage?

“I could pack a few,” he suggested, “I’m not trying to rush you, we’ve got time, but I’m just saying if you want them, get them- we’ll figure out getting them all home safe and sound, I promise.” 

“You’re a bad influence, you know” she said, grinning up at him from a hefty tome on rococo art. 

Roman smirked and took a few steps forward, forcing Lucy to walk backwards until her back was pressed against the wall, effectively pinned in place by the books he was holding. She snapped the book closed as her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open slightly. 

“If I wanted to be a bad influence,” he said, lowering his voice to just above a whisper as leaned over her, “I would take you to your knees right here in this bookshop.” 

She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply, visibly fighting to maintain her composure while they were in public. Roman chuckled, pleased at her eager reaction, before stepping back and freeing her. Lucy took a deep breath, a flush coloring her face now. She placed the book back on the pile in his arms and cleared her throat, looking around to make sure no one was within ear shot. 

“So you’re just calling out my fantasies right and left now?” she asked with a bashful giggle.

“Again, babe,” he said, grinning down at her, “not exactly a hard one to guess.”

“Oh yeah?” she said, looking up at him with a heated expression, “and what are you going to do about it?” 

Roman stepped forward and pinned her in place once again. He bent down and pressed his mouth to hers as one of her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him into her. Her other hand rested on his bicep, running her finger over the raised “L” shaped scar beneath his tattoo as she slid her tongue into his mouth. Lucy released a barely audible sound as he kissed her passionately, and she matched his energy with her soft, urgent lips. They exchanged kisses for a minute or two, and Roman was thankful that it was early on a Monday morning, and that they’d found themselves in a dark, secluded section of the store. When they finally pulled apart, Roman found himself wishing he had time to whisk her back to the hotel room and make her scream his name, and judging by the look on her face, Lucy was thinking the same thing. 

“You sure know how to leave a girl wanting more,” she said, fixing her tousled hair. 

“Mmm,” Roman said with a grin, “to be continued, then,” he promised.

—-

As the Shield walked up the ramp, Roman wiped a dribble of blood from his lip once the cameras were focused elsewhere, and the three of them headed backstage. They’d put up Daniel Bryan in their signature triple power bomb, and Roman had accidentally taken a boot to the face, busting him open a little bit. 

“Let’s get ya to medical,” Dean said, looking over at him as they turned the corner out of gorilla.

“It’s just a cut, it’s fine,” Roman said, waving him off.

“Then we’ll be in and out real quick,” Seth said, flanking him on his left. 

Roman looked back and forth between his brothers- both of their expressions leaving no room for argument. The three of them had an unspoken agreement that they would get any and all injuries checked, so nothing ever turned into something that would compromise the whole group. He’d pushed both of them to see the trainer more times than he could count, and he knew that they would drag him if he didn’t go willingly. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Roman said, resigned, “alright, let’s head that way.” 

It was a quiet night as far as injuries went, and just as Seth predicted, the trainer had looked over his split lip quickly and confirmed that it was fine, and advised him just to keep it clean as it healed. 

They showered off and changed, and by the time they were finished, the show had ended. Roman made his way to the backstage viewing area and found Lucy and Paige sitting together and talking. Lucy looked up at him with a smile as he approached, and stood up to kiss him. Roman winced as their lips met, and Lucy pulled back, running her finger gently over his lip next to the small cut with a worried look. 

“Oh, sorry, babe,” she said, “how is it? Are you going to need stitches or anything?” 

“Nah, it’s fine,” he said, smiling appreciatively at her concern, “I’d forgotten about it after my shower, actually.” 

“You two will just have to suffer a few days without kissing,” Seth teased, walking up to join them with his back slung over his shoulder, Dean following closely behind him.

“Hmmm,” Lucy said, making a show of letting her eyes roam over Roman, “I guess we can focus on…other things.”

Paige let out a laugh as Dean chuckled and gave her a lopsided grin, holding out his hand for a fist bump, which Lucy returned with a self satisfied smile. Seth gave her a good natured eye roll. 

“And on that note,” Seth said, “we’re going to grab a late dinner. See you guys later.”

He and Dean waved their goodbyes, and once they were gone, Paige turned to Roman with a grin. 

“So, I hear Lucy got the pin on you,” she said, raising her eyebrows.

“You hear correctly,” he chuckled. He then turned his gaze to Lucy, meeting the green eyes that were looking up at him brightly, “she’s got me down for the count, alright,” he finished, his tone sincere.

Her smile and eyes softened, and suddenly all Roman could see was her, as she looked at him with that expression once again. 

The one that made his heart soar; the one that gave him hope that he was not alone in his deep, ever growing affection.

Out of the corner of his eye, Roman saw Paige practically tip toeing away, leaving the two of them to their moment. Smart woman.

He bent down and placed his forehead against Lucy’s, sliding up his hand to gently cup her face as he closed his eyes. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

“You know,” she said quietly, “I would really love to kiss you right about now.”

Roman breathed out a soft laugh and brushed his lips across her cheek. 

“How about we get out of here?” he suggested, lifting his head to meet her eyes once more. 

Lucy smiled, took his hand, and Roman was walking on air as they headed out.

…

After a quiet dinner at a small cafe, where they’d caught one another up on their respective days - the Louvre for her, a long workout and Raw for him- the couple sipped the best hot chocolate Roman had ever tasted as they strolled along the Seine. It was a clear night, the moon was reflecting on the water, and they could make out a few scattered stars amid the shining lights, the brightest of which being the light show shimmering on the Eiffel Tower. They stood on a bridge and watched it happily for a few minutes in a contented silence. 

“I’ve dreamt about this scenario, almost exactly, so many times,” Lucy murmured, turning her head away from the view to smile at him. 

“Almost exactly, huh?” Roman asked curiously, “something missing that I can help with?” 

“Are you kidding?” she replied with a surprised giggle, “this is better than I ever could have dreamed of.”

“Likewise, beautiful,” he said truthfully, mirroring her starry eyed smile.

Roman took a sip from his cup as Lucy turned her gaze back to the city, letting the warm, rich chocolate run down his throat. A cool breeze blew, and she slid more tightly up against him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and as the river flowed and the lights twinkled, he thought again about wanting to have more moments like this with her- taking her to all the places she’d always wanted to go. He was reminded, then, of the conversation from the previous evening.

“I know you’re happy to be here,” he began, “but I am sorry it had to be over Thanksgiving. I didn’t even think about that when we were setting everything up, and I should have.” 

“Oh, Ro,” Lucy said, her tone reassuring as she met his eyes, “don’t apologize. My parents weren’t happy, but I actually think it’s pretty special. It’ll definitely be a holiday I’ll never forget, and it’s the first one that we get to spend together.” 

Roman felt relief immediately wash over him. 

“And honestly, before I left, my dad said that he wasn’t even that surprised,” she said with a smile, the corners of her eyes lifting, “I’ve been talking about seeing the whole world, and especially Paris, for as long as he can remember. Mom…well, she’ll come around,” she finished with a sigh, expression neutral. 

“You don’t talk about them much,” he hedged, internally debating whether or not he was pushing his luck. 

They’d been having a beautiful evening and he didn’t want to ruin it. She was contemplative for a moment, and he remained quiet, waiting (mostly) patiently for her to respond.

“We’re not-” she began, pausing briefly before continuing, “I’m not super close with them anymore, really,” she paused again, chewing on her lip before turning to look at him head on.

“There was some stuff that happened,” she said tentatively, “with an ex of mine.” 

Roman’s stomach dropped.

Yep, that’ll kill date night, he thought, angry at himself for bringing this up against his better judgment.

“You and I haven’t, um, gotten around to talking about that stuff, really,” she continued, “and I promise, I’m not trying to hide anything, but there’s never a great time to bring up exes, you know?” she asked warily, her eyes searching his. 

He rested his hand on hers, stroking his thumb gently along the back of her hand.

“It’s always a little awkward,” he agreed, “and it’s not like our timeline has exactly been normal here. Usually the exes conversation happens before a trip around the world,” he said with a half smile, attempting to lighten the mood. 

She graciously gave him a small smile,“true.” 

She fell quiet again for another moment or two. 

“Long story extremely short,” she finally continued, “my relationship with him caused a rift between my parents and me- a few of my friends, too- and it’s never really gotten back on track. We’ve all tried our best to move past it- for the most part, anyway. But the damage is done.”

Roman nodded solemnly, unsure of exactly how to proceed. It seemed like this was a touchy subject, and he didn’t want to cross any lines or push too hard.

“But believe me when I say,” she said emphatically, “that they are going to love you when you meet them. My mom especially.” 

He perked up at that. 

“When I meet them?” he echoed, doing his best to keep the thrill out of his voice. 

She smiled fondly at him.

“I believe that’s what I said,” she said with a nod, smile widening. 

He felt a fuzzy feeling slowly replacing the uncertainty that had been there moments before. 

Lucy looked a bit lighter, as well, though it did seem like memories were still haunting the edges of her thoughts. 

“And I swear,” she said, tone firm, “I’ll fill you in on all the details before you meet them. Just…can that wait until we’re back home?” she asked quietly.

Kicking himself mentally once more for starting this conversation in the middle of the most romantic city in the world, Roman brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. 

“Of course it can, sweetheart,” he said, giving her a meaningful look, “you can tell me everything, whenever you’re ready.”

…

Back in their hotel room, they were getting ready to settle in and watch a movie before going to sleep. They had the door to their balcony open, letting the cool night air in, and Lucy rubbed her arms in her thin pajamas before wrapping her soft green blanket around her shoulders. Roman went over to his bag and pulled out a worn red sweatshirt he’d thrown in for just such an occasion. 

“Here, baby,” he said, tossing it gently on the bed in front of her, “to add to your collection.” 

Lucy smiled and grabbed the offered sweatshirt, standing up and letting the blanket fall to the ground. She pulled it over her head and down over hips, pulling her hair through the collar and spinning around playfully for him. Her fingertips were barely visible, and red continued to be a color he loved on her.

“Looks perfect,” he grinned. 

“It’s so cozy,” she said, “thank you.” 

He let his eyes linger on her for a minute longer, once again enthralled by the sight of this gorgeous woman gleefully wearing his clothes.

“You know,” she said in a sing-song tone, “I think you keep giving me things to wear because you like to mark your territory,” she raised an eyebrow as her lips curved into a grin.

She doesn’t miss a trick, he thought.

“And so what if I do?” Roman said, voice low, challenging. 

His darkened eyes stared into hers. 

“I’m not complaining,” Lucy said, voice breathy as she maintained eye contact, “but you know there are other ways to do that.”

A low, hungry sound rumbled in his chest as he took a few large steps to close the gap between them. Roman swept her soft curls off her neck with his hand, running his thumb over her pulse point. He felt her heart beating rapidly as her breathing grew more labored. 

“And what, exactly, did you have in mind?” he asked huskily. 

Lucy looked up at him through her lashes.

“I trust you to be creative,” she said, eyes alight, which was the best possible answer, “though at the moment I really just want to kiss you senseless.”

He lowered his head to her shoulder, ghosting his breath along her neck, and felt her shiver beneath him. He lifted his head to see that her eyes had fallen closed, and that her lips were slightly parted, looking impossibly tempting.

“Fuck it, I can take it,” Roman said, stepping back, sitting on the edge of their bed and pulling her down, pressing his mouth into hers. 

Lucy rested her hands on his shoulders as he parted his lips, welcoming her tongue to mingle with his. 

There was a small stinging sensation and Roman tasted the tang of blood. Lucy must have noticed it, too, because she pulled back and studied his lip with a concerned expression. There was a tiny red streak smeared across her bottom lip and chin, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“Ooh, come on,” she said, tugging at his hand, “I’ve got some first aid stuff. Let’s get you cleaned up.” 

He followed her into the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the bathtub as she rifled through a small bag, pulling out a small packet of cotton balls and a miniature bottle of alcohol and setting them on the counter.

“Were you that worried that I’d get injured while we were here?” he asked with an amused smile as he saw that the bag was also full of gauze, bandages, and a few other tubes and bottles.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” she joked, pointing to herself, “accident prone- remember, no sharp objects?” he nodded with a light laugh, “I always pack this, just in case,” she zipped the bag shut and turned to him, “though I may have brought a little bit extra,” she admitted with a grin.

She dampened one of the cotton balls with alcohol and walked over to him, and Roman tilted his chin up, parting his lips to give her better access. She began to dab at his lip gently, concentration evident on her face. The alcohol had its usual small sting, but her touch was soft, and she held him in place easily under his jaw. Roman hummed, feeling warmth radiating within him.  

“Am I hurting you?” Lucy asked, pausing her movements and flicking her eyes up to his.

Roman shook his head, keeping the movement small so as not to break out of her gentle hold, his lips curving just slightly at the edges. 

“Let me know,” she said with a small, affectionate smile, turning her focus back to his injury and resuming her task. 

He basked in her sweet, delicate touches, relishing in the intimate feeling of being so gently cared for. 

Once she was satisfied that he was sufficiently tended to, she pressed a quick peck to his forehead. 

“Good as new,” she declared, tossing the cotton ball into the waste bin and tucking the alcohol away. 

Roman stepped up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing into her. He reached forward with his free hand and turned on the sink, grabbing a rolled up washcloth next to it and running it under the flow.

“Hey,” he said, and she looked up into the mirror, where his reflection was smiling at hers, “let me get that, baby.” 

Her eyes shifted to look at her own reflection, eyes widening slightly when she saw the tiny red streak on her lip. 

“Fair is fair,” he murmured, looking deep into her eyes as reached up slowly, cloth in hand. 

He held her against his torso, and her eyes sparkled as he wiped at her lip gently, and she leaned into his firm hold, chest rising and falling as her breaths deepened. He took his time, dragging the small, white towel over her lip in soft motions, diligently cleaning her plush mouth.

He discarded the washcloth, and let his arm join his other around her waist, pulling her flush against him now. Their reflections continued to stare into one another’s eyes, and Lucy, ever so subtly, ground her ass back into him. 

Roman smirked and released a small growl. 

“Bed?” he asked, pressing his growing erection into her. 

“Bed,” she agreed with a wide grin, “don’t worry, Superman, I’ll be gentle.”

content/ warnings: blood, mild injury, light angst.

“Thanks!” he said happily, leading her into the living room. 

He gave her a quick tour of the lower floor, showing her the kitchen, guest room, and small office before bringing her to what he considered to be the best part of his home. 

“And this is my favorite spot,” he said, opening a set of french doors and following Lucy onto a wooden deck. 

He had a grill station and a set of furniture on the left side, and off to the right there was a small pool with an attached hot tot tub. Beyond that was a small grass yard that butted up against a lake. 

“Wow, I can see why,” she said as she appreciated the view, “it’s beautiful here.” 

Roman moved closer behind her and wrapped a hand around her waist, pulling her into him. Lucy let out a happy hum and leaned into his embrace. 

Earlier in the day he’d come home to do some housekeeping and run a few errands, while Lucy had taken some time to get caught up on work. He’d cleaned meticulously, using the nervous energy he’d been feeling to his advantage. Roman hadn’t hosted company that wasn’t a member of his family, in one way or another, and he wanted to make a good impression. 

Now that Lucy was here, tucked into his arms and staring peacefully at the view, his nerves were calming down. He dipped his head and placed a kiss on her cheek. 

“Ready to get going?” he asked, growing excited as he remembered the plans he had in store. 

“Absolutely,” she said enthusiastically, turning to follow Roman inside as he released her from his arms, "Do I finally get to know where we’re going?” she asked. 

“Nope,” he said with a shake of his head and a teasing grin, “but the quicker we go, the quicker you’ll find out.”

He grabbed the dark gray gym bag he’d packed and led Lucy back to the entryway, picking up her duffle as he ushered her out the front door.

____________

He pulled his car into the parking lot of a large community center. It was an expansive brick building with teal doors, and brightly colored tiles decorated a few of the walls. Some of the bricks were darker or lighter in sections, seemingly patched together over the years. There was a group of kids playing basketball on a court next to a few drawing on the sidewalk with chalk and playing hopscotch. He looked over to catch the bewildered expression on Lucy’s face. 

“Where are we?” she asked, her eyes darting back and forth from him to the building in front of them.

His face broke out in a grin. He had told her that morning that he wanted to bring her along for his workout, but he hadn’t elaborated any more than that.

“Come on, it’ll be more fun to show you,” he answered, turning off the ignition. 

He grabbed both of their bags out of the backseat and took Lucy’s hand as he led her towards the building. He waved to a few of the kids playing and opened the door for Lucy, following her inside. 

The lobby was set up with a small round desk in the middle, and the walls behind it were covered in children’s artwork. A woman with short curly blonde hair sat at the desk. She looked up and smiled widely as they walked in. 

“Roman, good to see you! It’s been a while,” she greeted them cheerfully.

“Yeah, too long,” he agreed with a nod, stepping forward to rest his forearms on the desk, “how’ve you been Alice?” 

Roman snuck a glance at Lucy, who was clearly still puzzled as she looked around the room before turning her attention to Alice, giving her a polite grin.

“Can’t complain,” Alice replied with a shrug. 

“Glad to hear it,” he said sincerely before turning to Lucy, gesturing his hand towards her, “I’d like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Lucy. Thought I’d show her around the place today,” he said. 

After a beat, Roman froze, realizing the phrase that had slipped out before his brain could stop him.

Shit. Is she my girlfriend? Roman thought, mentally kicking himself for letting that slip out before they’d had a chance to talk about it themselves. 

He turned to Lucy with wide eyes and a weak grin. To his relief, she was wearing a knowing smile. She set a reassuring hand on his arm before turning her attention back to Alice. 

“It’s so nice to meet you Lucy,” Alice said, extending a hand to her, “glad to see that someone’s come along who might be able to show this guy that there’s more to life than working out in between shows.”

“Nice to meet you, too!” Lucy said brightly, shaking Alice’s hand, “I’ll do my best to drag him out of the gym more often,” she said, throwing an exaggerated eye roll with a grin at Roman. 

He chuckled and gave her a playful elbow to the ribs, exhaling as his pulse slowed to normal.

“Do you live in the area?” Alice asked, beaming at the two of them.

“Yeah, not too far from here,” Lucy answered. 

She glanced around the room again, looking fondly at a group of hand print paintings that hung on the far wall.

“Well good, you’re welcome to come around anytime,” Alice said, “make yourself at home and let me know if you need anything,” she finished with a smile. 

She stood up from the desk and made her way through the doors that led to the basketball court, giving them a silent wave.

Roman returned the wave before taking Lucy’s hand again and guiding her through another door that led to a long hallway, where the walls were covered in even more artwork. 

“Seems like they know you pretty well here,” Lucy said to him, her inflection making the statement sound more like a question. 

Her eyes flitted around to the drawings and paintings as they walked. 

“I’ve been coming to work out for years,” Roman explained, “when I first moved to Tampa, right before I started with WWE, I found this place and came to the gym a few times. Played basketball with some of the older kids; used the weights; and I became a regular after that. I like the community feel more than just another sterile gym, you know?” 

Lucy nodded her understanding before stopping to look at a window display full of clay sculptures and dioramas. Finally she turned to him, her eyes and smile soft. 

“I love that you have this home away from home,” she said with a quiet sincerity. 

Roman felt that familiar warmth he was beginning to associate with her coursing through him. 

“I love that I get to share it with you,” he said, a the corners of his mouth curving into a soft smile.

He pulled at her hand and they resumed walking. 

He took her through the entire complex, showing her the arts and crafts area, and the tutoring rooms where kids could come for help with their homework, next to classrooms for both children and adults continuing their education. They walked outside to see a huge playground and community garden before returning inside, ending up at the entrance to the fitness center. 

“So this is obviously the gym,” he said with a nod towards the door, “I won’t be too long today, and I thought of a couple things that might be fun for you while we’re here. There’s a reading room down that hallway,” Roman said, pointing behind Lucy, “they’ve got a huge selection of books to read, and computers if you want to work or do whatever on there. Or if you’re interested at all, I think they’ve got one of their dance fitness classes starting here in a few minutes. Obviously, you’re welcome to work out with me…” 

Roman trailed off with a chuckle as Lucy fixed him with a look that said ‘yeah, right.’

“I could go for a dance class, as long as you promise not to laugh at me,” Lucy said, pointing a finger at him, “but are you sure it’s OK for me to just hop in?” she asked with a furrowed brow. 

Roman waved off her concern. 

“For sure, they’re not formal here,” he said, “plus I can guarantee that Alice has mentioned who you are to just about everyone already,” he finished with a smirk. 

“Oh, well in that case,” Lucy said with a slightly teasing smile, “getting in a dance workout, and showing off my new boyfriend? Count me in,” she finished, squeezing his hand on the word ‘boyfriend.’ 

While her smile was playful, her tone was sincere. Roman’s heart skipped a beat, and he released a happy sigh.

“I can introduce you to the instructor if you want,” Roman suggested, “otherwise the locker rooms are back this way,” he gestured behind him with his thumb. 

“Oh, that’s OK,” Lucy waved him off with a grin before reaching to take her duffel from Roman, “let’s get started. I’m excited- I do dance YouTube videos in my living room all the time, but I haven’t gone to a class in person in forever,” she continued as they made their way towards the locker rooms. 

Roman smiled to himself. He had worried that she’d find having to wait around while he worked out annoying, and he was happy to see her embracing one his favorite places. 

“See you out there,” he said, sending her off with a grin as they parted ways into their respective rooms to change. 

____________

“Damn,” Roman muttered to himself as he shook out his hand, willing the stinging sensation to let up. He’d pinched his fingers while adding weights to the squat rack- twice. 

The fitness classes were held at the far end of the gym. It was a small room with a mirrored wall and wooden floors, and there were large glass windows that made up two of the walls. As it turned out, it was harder to focus on his workout when he could easily see Lucy as she was swaying her hips and moving in time to the music playing from a small speaker. 

Roman chided himself mentally, quit ogling her in public. What are we, fifteen? 

He turned up the music in his headphones and returned the weights to their rack before moving on to the treadmill. He chose one that faced away from Lucy’s mesmerizing movements, though he could still see her in the corner of his vision. He set the speed and settled into the familiar rhythm of his heart pounding, legs and arms moving as the sweat began to drip down his chest and back. He focused on his breathing and balance and watched as the miles clicked by on the little screen on the treadmill. If his gaze slipped over to the dance class once or twice, it was purely accidental. Definitely. 

When he was done with his run, he grabbed a towel and wiped at the sweat on his face and chest. He had just taken a large sip from his water bottle when a little girl about nine years old ran over to him, a boy around the same age following her. 

“Mister Roman!” she said happily with a wave, “tell Tyler how you beat up John Cena. He doesn’t believe me! Says you’re too nice and not scary at all.” 

“Oh, is that so?” Roman said with a laugh, squatting down so he was eye level with the two kids, “you know, Melody’s right, Tyler. Me and my friends beat him up real good,” he finished with an exaggerated expression, furrowing his brow and gritting his teeth, making a big show of flexing his arms in front of him. 

Tyler poked at his bicep and furrowed his eyebrows, then held his own arms out in front of him, imitating Roman. 

“Hmmm, maybe you’re a little strong,” Tyler said, dropping his arms to his sides, “I still don’t think you could beat John Cena.”

“He did! I saw it on TV,” Melody insisted, stamping her foot and rolling her eyes.

“Whatever,” Tyler said distractedly, running towards the doors that led to a jungle gym outside, Melody quickly on his heels before one the employees yelled at them to slow down. 

The kids grimaced and slowed to a walk as they pushed out of the doors. Roman huffed out another laugh as he returned to his full height, and as he turned around to pick up his water bottle, he saw Lucy approaching him. She had a towel slung around the back of her neck, hanging over her shoulders, and wore an affectionate smile.

“Does that happen a lot around here?” she asked, nodding towards the doors where the kids had just run out. 

“Yeah,” he said with an amused grin and shrugged, “I’ve known most of the families here for years, so I’m just Roman to them. The kids think it’s funny that anybody thinks I’m mean or tough,” he finished as Lucy giggled easily, her eyes softening even more as she looked at him. 

Roman’s stomach fluttered under her gaze.

“What do you say we shower and get out of here?” he asked, “ready for the next stop on today’s tour?” 

“Sure thing, Mister Roman,” Lucy said with that mischievous smirk of hers, following him back to the locker rooms. 

“Hey now, save that for later,” he said jokingly, raising his eyebrows at her before walking through the door. 

He heard her laugh echoing in the hall as rounded the corner to the shower. 

____________

“How was your class?” he asked as they drove, passing rows and rows of palm trees along the streets, the afternoon sun shining through the large, swaying fronds. 

“It was fun!” she replied, smiling over at him and peering through her sunglasses, “Angela was so nice, and made it all feel easy, even though I was worn out by the end.” 

“You looked like you were keeping up pretty well,” Roman said, taking one hand of the wheel to set it on top of Lucy’s hand where it rested on his thigh. 

“Oh?” she asked, her eyebrows raising as her mouth quirked in amusement, “you were watching?” 

“I mean,” he said, clearing his throat as he shifted in his seat, “I glanced over, for a second. Just to see how you were doing.”

He spared a look at her to see if she was convinced at all by his terrible underplay. 

Judging by the full blown smile on her face, she was not. 

“Yeah, well,” Lucy said, patting his thigh, “I snuck a glance at you, too. A few times, actually. I almost tripped over my own foot and fell” she laughed. 

The small amount of embarrassment Roman had been feeling instantly faded away, replaced with satisfaction that he had at least proved to be equally distracting.

He turned the car through a busy intersection and onto a long bridge with water on both sides that glittered in the sun as they drove. Lucy and Roman were quiet as they admired the view. Even though they’d both been around it all of their lives, the beauty of the ocean never seemed to lose its luster. Roman turned up the volume on the radio, and he and Lucy sang and hummed along whenever they knew the song as they drove over the shores. 

Finally, he pulled in and parked at a small park. They each grabbed a towel, and he led her across the road and down a long winding path that ended on the beach. Looking down the shoreline, there was only one other person in their vicinity. A few hotels could be seen in the distance, several groups of people swimming and sunning in front of them, but they were as good as alone on this little stretch of sand. 

They draped their towels on the sand, but as soon as hers was down, Roman grabbed Lucy and pulled her down with him so that they both sat on his. She complied easily, giggling and leaning back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and Lucy laid her arms on top of his, sighing happily. They stayed like that for a long while, watching the waves as they crashed against the shore, listening to the sounds of the water and the seagulls cawing around them. 

“So…” Lucy broke the silence, her tone cautious, “I’m your girlfriend, huh?”

Roman's hand paused where he had been absentmindedly fidgeting with the hem of her sweater, and Lucy sat up to look him in the eye, her expression pleasant, but inquisitive. 

Okay, so it was time to talk about this. He swallowed and opened his mouth to stutter out…something. His mind raced as he tried to come up with the exact right thing to say. 

Of course he wanted to call her his girlfriend, just like he wanted her to call him her boyfriend. But maybe he was wrong to assume that that’s what she wanted, too. He’d wanted to bring it up days ago at her house, but how do you start a ‘I’ve known you a week and I’m crazy about you, let’s define the relationship’ conversation? So he’d chickened out. 

Yeah, better to blurt it out in public, he thought, great plan.

“Hey,” Lucy said softly, interrupting his thoughts, “it’s okay. I loved that you called me your girlfriend. It just caught me off guard. Is that…umm…is that what you told Hunter? When you asked about bringing me to Europe?” she asked, searching his eyes, gnawing nervously on her lip. 

“No,” Roman said quickly, “I didn’t. I mean, I think that’s probably what he assumed- not a lot of people invite friends to come on tour- but I wouldn’t have told anyone that before checking with you. Except at the community center, apparently,” he added wryly. 

“You could have told him that,” Lucy said shyly, “and really, who are we kidding? I’m not seeing anyone else, and neither are you. I’m pretty sure you had me the moment you sat me down with a slice of pizza and said ‘this is Dean and Seth. Ask us anything- we don’t bite,’” she finished with a chuckle. 

“We were lying. Dean bites- but only sometimes,” Roman joked, and the two of them shared a laugh. 

“The words ‘girlfriend’ and ‘boyfriend’ do feel a little high school, but semantics aside- I’m all yours, Ro. And we can let the world know, as far as I’m concerned,” Lucy said, her eyes sparkling as she stared into his. 

“Then it’s settled,” Roman said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, “and I’m all yours too, in case that wasn’t obvious.”. 

She gave him an affectionate smile and placed a gentle kiss on his lips before turning to face the water and settling herself back against him. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, appreciating the salty scent of the ocean and letting the tension in his body release. 

I’m all yours, Ro. 

He soaked in the feeling of the sun warming him through the light green, long sleeved shirt he wore with a pair of thicker black athletic shorts. Lucy had taken out her braid and her curls were splayed across his chest and stomach, and she wore a soft heather gray sweater with a pair of denim shorts. Her sweater rode up a bit as she laid against him and Roman’s hands rested on her bare stomach, his fingers softly running over her skin. 

She leaned her head back further and tilted her chin up to him, and he bent down to kiss her. It was sweet and soft- relaxed. As they lazily traded kisses, Roman hummed contentedly against her lips. They broke off their kiss to come up for air and Lucy sat up more completely, turning to look at him. 

“Want to walk along the water for a bit?” she asked hopefully.

“Let’s go,” he said with an enthusiastic nod, and Lucy grinned as she stood up. 

They approached the shore, avoiding a crab that was scuttling amongst the shells and rocks, and Lucy stopped to test the temperature with her toes. Roman did the same and, feeling that it was cool without being ice cold, splashed her a little with his foot before running ahead to evade any retaliation. Lucy let out a squeal of protest and caught up to him, kicking water at him that just barely grazed the back of his calf. Each having got a splash in, they declared peace and strolled along the water’s edge. 

They walked happily in silence for a bit, observing the occasional fish that leaped from the water only to dive right back in, and the little tiny birds that ran along the shoreline. The waves crashed into the sand, covering their feet in a cold foam before receding back into the gulf, over and over as they walked. 

“Every time I come back to the beach, I remember just how peaceful it is,” Roman mused as a soft mist sprayed against his cheek, “makes me wonder why I don’t come out more. Out of sight, out of mind I guess. I practically lived in the sand back in Pensacola…” 

He trailed off thoughtfully. His mind drifted back to building sandcastles all summer as a kid, and playing beach volleyball every weekend in middle and high school. 

“I know what you mean,” Lucy said, crossing her arms as a gust of cool wind blew, “every few years I say I’m going to go watch the sunset once a week and I keep it up for a month or so, and then distractions happen.” 

Her tone seemed a little off, but as Roman met her gaze, she was smiling easily up at him. Her arms were still crossed in front of her, and he reasoned that her thin sweater and bare legs must not have been doing much to stave off the chill in the air. The rain was gone completely, not a cloud in the sky, but the storms had left behind a cold front, exacerbated by the sea breeze. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side as they walked, rubbing his hand up and down her arm to warm her. Lucy wrapped her arm around his waist, and seemed content as she snuggled into his side. It made walking a little trickier for both of them, but they were in no hurry. 

Roman saw some movement in his peripheral vision and turned just in time to see the tail of a dolphin disappearing back under the water with a splash. 

“Did you see that?” he asked, pointing to the spot just as a second dolphin sprung into the air. 

He felt like a kid again, getting excited over dolphins, but as Lucy nodded and watched just as happily, he didn’t feel self conscious at all. 

“I saw a whole family of them in college once,” she said as they watched the dolphins, leaping into the air, some of them just swimming to the surface before immediately curling back underneath, “I remember it was the last day of our winter finals, and our library sat just back from a sea wall. I walked over to the water when the last exam was over to get some fresh air after spending the entire day inside, and it was almost like they knew. A whole crowd of us stood there and watched them jump and play until the sun went down.” 

Roman turned his gaze away briefly from the water to watch Lucy as she spoke, a wistful expression on her face as she recounted the memory. 

“Your library was on the water?” he asked with surprise, “even as a guy from a beach town, I’m jealous. I might have actually enjoyed studying in college if I’d had a view like that,” he said, turning his focus back to the gulf. 

“It was the best,” Lucy agreed, a grin lighting up her face, “though I had the opposite problem a few times. I just wanted to stare at the water and let my mind wander instead of writing whatever paper I had due that week.”

After another minute the surface of the water calmed, the dolphins having moved on. They continued to walk along the water, and when the breeze picked up again, Roman felt Lucy shiver slightly against him.

“How about we head back?” he suggested, coming to a stop so they could turn around, “I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty hungry. I ran out and picked up the groceries this morning, so I can get started cooking as soon as we’re back at my place.” 

“I could definitely go for some food,” Lucy agreed, taking his hand as they walked in the direction of their towels, “I can’t wait to try your cooking. And I can help- as long as it doesn’t involve knives,” she continued with a short laugh, “sharp objects and I are not the best of friends, and I don’t think you want to spend one of your nights off at urgent care.” 

“Ha! Okay, no chopping for you, got it,” Roman chuckled. 

He and Lucy reached the spot where they had left their towels and shoes and packed everything up before walking back down the winding path to his car. 

____________

Roman poured them each a glass of wine and got to work prepping the kitchen to cook as soon as they’d arrived back at his house. He’d picked up some fresh french bread along with some oil to dip it in as an appetizer, and Lucy insisted he sit and enjoy some with her for a little while. 

Who was he to deny her? 

After they’d both finished their first glass of wine, he’d poured Lucy another and got back to work in the kitchen. 

He handled anything that required using a knife, mincing up the garlic and chopping up an onion to put in a meat sauce. After melting some butter on the stove, he’d designated the whisking of said butter and flour to Lucy before joining her to add in milk, nutmeg, and salt. After sprinkling in the coarse sea salt, he wiped his hands on the linen apron he wore and reached for a spoon to scoop up a spoonful of the meat sauce. 

“Want to give it a taste?” Roman asked, holding the spoon out in the air to rest right in front of Lucy’s mouth. 

She nodded with a grin and jutted her chin forward, letting him slide the spoon into her mouth. She pulled back and closed her eyes, savoring the taste. After she swallowed, she opened her eyes and her smile grew as she gave him a definitive nod. 

“I think it’s perfect,” she said before turning back to her cooking. 

Roman smiled triumphantly and tried it for himself- she was right. The spicy italian sausage he’d chosen, instead of the more traditional ground beef, combined with the rich tomato sauce and spices to create the perfect savory flavor he’d hoped for. He left the sauce to cook for another minute or so as he squatted down and rummaged through his cabinets.

“Everything smells amazing, too,” Lucy said, stirring the saucepan of bechamel on the stovetop. 

“Thanks, it should be pretty good, I think,” Roman said, rising to his feet after finding the pan he was looking for, “it’s not my mom’s lasagna recipe, but I thought it sounded great. Just don’t tell her we cooked this when you meet her,” he finished with a half smile, giving the baking dish a quick wipe down with a towel. 

Lucy was silent as she continued her stirring, and for the second time that day, Roman stopped in his tracks as his brain realized what exactly had just come out of his mouth. He almost dropped the baking dish, clanging it loudly against the counter as he set it down haphazardly. 

He turned to look at Lucy, bracing himself as he did so. She didn’t look panicked, thankfully, but her expression was…unreadable. Unbearably neutral. Roman debated with himself, his mind spinning a mile a minute. 

Should I take it back? Say I misspoke? 

Do I offer to bring her with me to my parents with me tomorrow, now that’s already out there? 

No, that’s worse. Way worse. Goddamn it.

“Umm, I mean,” he stumbled over his words, “er- I didn’t mean- I didn’t mean like you had to meet her anytime soon. Just, you know- if we decide, further down the road…” Roman trailed off, fidgeting with his apron strings just to occupy his hands, his heart pounding. 

After another moment, Lucy looked up from the stove to meet his eyes. There was a crease between her eyebrows, but her expression was more concerned than upset, her eyes soft.

“Tell you what,” she said gently, “‘let’s cross that bridge when we get to it. Tonight, let’s focus on you, and me, and what promises to be a kick ass lasagna,” Lucy finished, her smile growing a touch, still not up to its usual beam. 

He gave her a short nod, wiping his hands on his apron, willing his heartbeat to slow. He walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed the bottle of white wine, topping off both of their glasses. He took a long sip and swallowed before letting out a deep, slow breath. 

They sipped and stirred quietly for the next few minutes, the only noise coming from the clang of spoons against pots and the soft music Roman was playing from the other room. He tried both sauces once more and, satisfied that they were ready, grabbed the flat noodles so that they could begin assembling their dinner. It was slightly awkward at first as he and Lucy found the rhythm of placing the noodles and spreading the sauces, layer after layer.

Lucy had just finished spooning the last layer of meat sauce over the noodles when she swiped the spoon with her finger and brushed it on the tip of his nose. Roman looked up from the dish to find her  grinning mischievously up at him. His mouth split into a mischievous grin instantly, and he reached out to slip his finger into Lucy’s now near empty saucepan and smeared sauce over her bottom lip. She giggled and grabbed at his apron, pulling him into her. He bent down to kiss her, swiping at the sauce with his tongue. She kissed him back before standing on her tiptoes to place a kiss on the tip of his nose, cleaning the remaining sauce as she did so. She settled back on her feet and Roman gave her another quick kiss, relief washing over him as they smiled together, the tension no longer palpable. 

“Ok, let’s get this in the oven,” he said after they’d finished topping the dish with a sprinkling of fresh parmesan. 

Lucy held the dish as Roman opened the oven door, moving to the side as she slid it inside. 

He set a timer and then grabbed his wine glass, taking another sip before setting it down and turning to her. 

“I think I’d like to clean up a bit before dinner, how about you?” he asked her. 

“Ooh great idea,” Lucy said before taking a sip of her wine. Swallowing, she set her glass on the counter, “lead the way.” 

They walked up the stairs to his bedroom, and Roman stepped into his en suite bathroom to start the shower before returning to Lucy, who was looking around his room. 

His decor in here was pretty simple- a large king sized bed sat at the center of the room covered in a dark green quilt over oatmeal colored sheets, a soft beige throw draped over one corner. 

A small fabric covered bench sat at the end of the bed, the color a shade or two darker than the throw blanket. He had a simple wooden nightstand on either side of the bed, and a lamp on each. Across from his bed was a dresser made of the same chestnut colored wood as the nightstands, a tv mounted on the wall above it. While the rest of the house had hardwood floors, Roman preferred carpet for his room and the two guest bedrooms. 

“It’s cozy in here,” she said with a dreamy look, running her hand along the soft throw blanket, and Roman smiled to himself. 

He’d never been much for decorating, but he had put effort into making his home feel like more than just a place to rest when he wasn’t on the road. 

“Thanks, though now that I’ve seen your place, I think I want some art in here,” he said, pointing to the empty wall across from where he was standing, “right there. And some more in the living room, I think.” 

“That would look nice,” she said with a nod, and a thoughtful smile appeared on her face, “and I think I can help you with that.” 

He looked to the bathroom and saw steam rising from the shower, and he grabbed Lucy’s hand, pulling her closer to him. 

“Care to join me?” he said, nodding his head toward the bathroom with a grin. 

Her smile grew as she let her fingers wander under the hem of Roman’s shirt, sliding it up his stomach. He hummed approvinly at her touch and slowly lifted his shirt off to grant her more access. 

Lucy’s hand slid up to his chest before she stepped back and removed her sweater, reaching down to unbutton her shorts. They finished undressing quickly and made their way into the shower, both of them sneaking tiny kisses and playful touches. 

Once they were under the steaming water, their hands became more exploratory. Roman slid his hands over the swells of her breasts while Lucy cupped his ass. His mouth found her nipple and Lucy gently dragged her nails over his back. 

Suddenly, she pulled away. Roman lifted his head, puzzled, his pulse thrumming as Lucy fixed him with a heated gaze. Slowly, she sank to her knees, running her hands up his thighs and looking up at him through her eyelashes. She wrapped her hand around the base of his cock before licking a path from his balls up the underside of his shaft, parting her lips to swirl her tongue around the tip. 

“Oh fuck, baby,” Roman groaned quietly, closing his eyes as she wrapped her hot mouth around him. 

She took just the tip of him in her mouth at first, stroking his shaft with her hand. The warm water cascaded down his chest and over Lucy as she gradually took him deeper, her free hand massaging his balls. Roman moaned, resting his hand on the back of her head- not to push, but just to hold her steady. Lucy hummed around his cock as his hand became entwined with her hair, the vibration rumbling deliciously through his entire body.

She took him further down her throat, hollowing her cheeks as she did so, causing Roman groan out her name, the syllables breaking in the middle. She hummed again around him and sucked him in even more, her hand continuing to stroke his shaft. He let his head fall back as her tongue sought out every inch, and his cock was swallowed deeper through her warm, pillow soft lips. Lucy began to bob her head up and down, and Roman tightened his hold on her hair slightly. 

“Lucy,” he groaned again, “just like that. Fuck, that’s good,” he said, looking down to watch himself disappearing inside her mouth. 

Lucy’s hum sounded more like a moan that time, and she doubled her efforts, making him feel weak at the knees.

“Good girl, that’s it- so good, baby,” he choked out in between breaths. 

His head spun as the heat grew in his stomach, feeling the tip of his cock hit the back of herthroat. Praise continued to spill from his lips as Lucy alternated swallowing him down and sliding her tongue over his shaft as she stroked him. She slid him nearly all the way down and Roman’s hips bucked involuntarily. 

“Sorry, babe, I-” he was cut off as she pulled back and then immediately slid him down her throat impossibly deeper, and her name was pulled from his lips in a drawn out moan. 

She picked up the bobbing motion again, and Roman knew he wouldn’t last much longer. 

“I’m getting close,” he panted, flexing his fingers where he cradled her head. 

Lucy looked up at him and smiled around his cock, lifting up and licking her tongue lasciviously around his tip and sucking the head back into her mouth, giving him a few tight strokes with her hand before closing her eyes and sinking her mouth down as far as she could go. Roman gasped as she tightened her lips around him. He came with a growl, and Lucy swallowed every drop eagerly. 

He whispered her name once more as he came down, and Lucy slowly pulled off of him and sat back on her heels, looking pleased with herself. His legs shook as the adrenaline wore off and he joined her on the floor of the shower, leaning up against the wall as he sat. 

“Sweetheart, that was-” Roman huffed out a breath, his brain buzzing, feeling completely blissed out “- well, you are, incredible,” he finished with a smile. 

Lucy’s face was flushed from exertion and the warmth of the shower, but he could swear he saw her redden even more as she grinned proudly, water dripping from her wet curls and sliding down and over all of her curves. Roman straightened and reached to her, cupping her jaw with his hand and stroking his thumb against her cheek. He bent forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips and another on her forehead. 

After a few minutes of affectionate touches and murmured appreciation, Roman stood and helped Lucy to her feet, and they worked together to get each other clean. They toweled off in the bathroom and Roman offered Lucy some of his clothes or a big fluffy robe, of which she had chosen the latter. He grabbed another robe for himself and left her to brush out her hair as he went to check on their dinner. 

There were still about ten minutes left on the timer, and Roman mentally congratulated himself on the timing as he took the chance to light a candle and placed it on the small table on his porch, turning on the electric firepit to ward off the evening chill. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a pink glow in the sky over the lake. 

Lucy came downstairs and he served them each a generous portion of lasagna along with a fresh glass of wine each. He guided her outside, and the two of them sat together on the dark teal loveseat to enjoy an intimate dinner. 

“Mmmm,” Lucy said as she took her first bite, “this is amazing. You’ve never made this before?” she asked him incredulously. 

“I haven’t made this recipe, but I learned how to make lasagna pretty young,” he said before taking a bite himself. He had to admit, it had turned out exactly as he’d hoped, “and thanks, I’m glad you like it.” 

Lucy nodded as she slid another forkful into her mouth, and there was something about the simple act of getting her fed that made him something stir in his chest.

When they’d finished their meal, Lucy set her plate down on the table and relaxed into the couch, releasing a contented sigh. Roman set his plate down on top of hers and slid closer to her, settling his arm around her shoulder. Lucy turned her head to face him, her eyes gazing deeply into his. 

“Thank you,” she said softly, “for dinner, and for today. It was perfect,” Lucy finished. 

Her tone was sincere, and Roman’s heart swelled, the emotion in her voice flooding him with warmth. 

After all the trouble his mouth running away from him had caused today, he opted to pull her into an embrace, enveloping her completely and resting his chin gently on her head. She must have gotten the message, as she let out a satisfied sound and nuzzled into his chest. Roman sighed happily as the warmth of their thick, cozy robes and combined body heat kept the night air at bay. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, and Lucy responded with a kiss of her own at the base of his throat, where the robe was open a little bit. 

“It really was a perfect day,” he finally said quietly, and he meant it. 

Slip ups aside, Roman decided then and there that as long as he didn’t mess everything up, he’d give Lucy as many days like today as she wanted to share with him. 

Roman watched and Seth and Dean shared a look that was imperceptible to anyone but the three of them. These questions were less common, but regular enough that they had a system pretty well worked out.

“If you’re looking for a night out on the town, babe, all you had to do was ask,” Dean drawled, dropping his voice to a raspy near-growl, shooting her a hearty wink for good measure. 

The interviewer released a nervous giggle as Roman let out a booming laugh, and gave Dean a good natured eye roll. 

“Always got time for a date, this one,” Seth said with a half smile, hooking his thumb at Dean, who was rotating in his chair back and forth with an impish smirk. 

Of course those dates were with Seth, but she and whoever was listening at home didn’t need to know that. Dean and Seth weren’t embarrassed about their relationship, but they wanted to keep it to themselves, out of the headlines and the public eye. A select group of trusted people on the roster knew about it, and the rest just attributed their closeness to the brotherhood bond. 

“I think it’s all about setting expectations,” Roman spoke up, drawing the host’s focus to him, “you just have to be honest and upfront with your partner, and then follow through with your commitments. Our lives are insanely hectic day to day, but if we want to make time for someone, we will. It’s all about making the most of the time you do have with them - whether that’s a weekend, a day, or even just a few hours. The right person will understand and go on that ride with you.”

Roman felt two sets of eyes on him, and turned to look at his brothers in turn. Seth’s face looked almost dopey as he smiled widely at him, while Dean’s face was softer, and, if Roman wasn’t mistaken, a little proud. His cheeks colored slightly and he looked down at the small paper coffee cup in his hands, taking a sip as a means of distraction more than anything.

They wrapped up their interview with a few more questions each. Stepping out of the building and onto the street, the three men walked in the direction of a gym they’d looked up that was just a few blocks away, Seth leading the way as Roman and Dean followed him side by side. 

“Since when did you get so old and wise, big brother?” Seth asked, tilting his head upward as he adjusted his beanie over his ears. 

“I’ve always been wise,” Roman joked as he zipped up his hoodie, confused, “but, uh, what are you talking about?” 

“Listen to you in there, doling out top tier relationship advice,” Seth replied with that same wide smile he’d had in the studio, “a month ago, we never would have heard anything like that outta you.” 

“I was just talking,” Roman said with a forced casualness, shoving his hands in his pockets, feeling uncharacteristically shy under this line of questions. 

Seth opened his mouth as if to argue that point, but Dean spoke up before he had the chance.

“Leave him alone,” Dean said, a white cloud puffing out his mouth against the frigid air, “you know how Rome gets when we bring the fact that he is completely in lo-”

“Oh my god,” Rome said, cutting him off with an exasperated huff, “are we really doing this again already?” 

“See?” Dean grunted quietly. 

“If you don’t wife this one up, I might beat you to it,” Dean said, with his signature smirk. 

Roman didn’t even hear Seth’s comment as his pulse started racing, and he stole a glance at Lucy, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. He did his best to remain calm, or at least appear that way, but he knew Lucy wasn’t buying it for a second. He watched as she gathered up her things and practically ran to get in line and buy her magazine. Once she was mostly out of earshot, Roman focused a hard look on Dean.

“Dude, you can maybe not say things like that?” he said sharply, keeping his voice low.

“What?” Dean asked defensively, “she obviously knew I was joking.”

“I know, it’s just” Roman said, closing his eyes in frustration, smoothing a hand over his pulled back hair, “this trip is already a lot of pressure. On top of my dad overreacting, and my mom sending her trays of food- I don’t want to scare her off, man. She’s going to think I’m already going ring shopping.”

“I thought she loved your mom’s leftovers?” Dean asked, crinkling his brows as he took another bite of his pastry. 

“Yeah, she did, but that’s not the point-” Roman stopped short, letting out something between a sigh and a growl. 

He didn’t know what to say to make his brothers understand. 

The truth of the matter was that he was working overtime not to picture a future with Lucy. Watching her hang pictures and looking so comfortable in his house replayed in his mind again and again. He could so easily imagine coming home to her there on his days off - finding her writing on her laptop in the office he never used, or tossing a ball with Skipper in his backyard…

“I don’t know where her head is at, long term,” he said quietly, risking a glance over his shoulder to see that Lucy was at the register now, “we’re still getting to know each other- we might want different things.” 

He felt an ache in his heart at the thought.

“So you’re saying that is something you want?” Seth asked in a cautious tone, clearly trying not to fan the flames between Roman and Dean.

“I’m saying I don’t want her to feel rushed,” Roman said, skirting around Seth’s question.

Dean and Seth exchanged a look, which did nothing to allay his concern or mounting frustration. 

“Roman,” Dean began firmly, all teasing gone,“I know you’re not that stupid. Anyone who has been around the two of you for more than ninety seconds can see that you - that both of you - have been in this thing for the long haul from almost the moment you met.” 

“Dean,” Seth admonished softly. 

“Okay, look,” Roman interrupted, tone clipped, “I don’t want to debate this. Just let us crawl before we walk, and walk before we run- please? If we decide that we’re going to talk about things like marriage, I’d rather it not be in the middle of an airport crawling with people before a six hour plane ride.”

“Seven,” Seth corrected, and Roman shot him a glare, “sorry,” he said quickly, pressing his lips into a thin line, actively fighting against the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. 

Dean was quiet for a moment, before he finally rolled his eyes and shook his head. 

“Fine, I promise,” Dean said, throwing his hand up in defeat, “no more pointing out things that are extremely obvious to anyone with eyes.” 

Roman heaved a sigh, knowing that there was little to no chance that Dean would actually drop this subject for any length of time- hopefully they could just get through the rest of the day in peace. 

Lucy rejoined the group, and Roman felt a weight lift when she wrapped her arm through his with a small, warm smile on her face. The panic he'd seen minutes earlier was gone, the expression in her green eyes returned to almost normal. He tried to let go of his remaining frustration.

“I could use another coffee,” she said, “how about it, Superman? My treat.” 

Roman melted at her use of the nickname. Of all the things she called him, that was far and away his favorite. His heartbeat finally slowed back down, and he couldn’t have stopped the grin that spread across his face if he’d wanted to. 

“Okay, okay, you’re right,” Seth said with an annoyed groan, “let’s not go down this road again. All I meant to say was that you should give yourself some credit. What you said in the interview was pretty solid, and the fact that you’ve figured that out in only a few weeks is crazy, but cool, man.” 

Roman let that sink in for a moment. He’d meant it when he’d said he was just talking - the words just sort of came out on their own. As he considered this silently, he realized that a large part of his reference point was standing right next to him. 

Even though they were all together constantly, keeping their relationship quiet meant that Seth and Dean had very little time to spend with each other as a couple. Roman gave them space when he could, which was only so often, and they still lived states away from one another. He knew, too, that even when they did have the time, it was hard to shut off the work brain. But, like the impossibly hard workers they both were, they’d figured it out one step at a time.

“Yeah, well,” he began, bumping his shoulder against Dean’s, “I think I had a couple of pretty good role models.” 

Seth looked back at him with a surprising humble smile as Dean returned Roman’s shoulder bump, making meaningful eye contact with Seth before he turned back to watch for their destination. 

“Alright, I’m calling it,” Dean said, drawing his hood up over his head, “that’s it - feelings time is officially over.” 

As they finished walking in a comfortable silence, Roman pretended not to notice the extra bounce in Dean’s step. 

----

“Hey, there you are!” Lucy said brightly as Roman walked into their shared room. 

He was glad, if surprised, to see her awake and looking ready for the day. Their interview had been before dawn, and Lucy was still sound asleep when he’d left quietly with a soft kiss to her cheek. 

“Morning, gorgeous,” he said, dropping his gym bag by the door, “jet lag’s got nothing on you.” 

“I don’t know if it was the post travel drink or the excitement to finally be here,” she said, greeting him with a quick kiss, “but either way, I’m not complaining.” 

She went to start putting on her shoes when Roman caught her arm, pulling her back towards him. 

“Get back here,” he said with a smirk, “I’m not finished saying good morning yet.” 

Lucy beamed and wrapped her arms around his waist, giggling quietly as he pressed his lips to hers. Her laughter was swallowed as their tongues met, and Roman rested his left hand on her shoulder, gently holding the back of her neck with his right. 

Roman took a few steps back to sit on a loveseat that was in the corner of their room, drawing Lucy onto his lap as he did so. She made herself comfortable on his thighs and draped her legs to one side, rubbing her hands against his chest as they continued exchanging kisses. Roman sighed and melted under her, letting himself get lost in the heady sensation that kissing Lucy always brought on.

“Not fair,” she said when they broke apart to catch their breath, “I feel like I just slept for an entire day, and now I want to drag you back to bed,” she finished with a mischievous grin. 

“Mmm,” he rumbled, feeling a stirring in his groin.

Roman tightened his hold around her, internally debating how much time they had before a loud knock sounded against the door separating the shared rooms. 

“Is everybody decent?” Seth shouted through the door.

“Why did we agree to adjoining rooms again?” Roman muttered with a laugh.

“It was your idea,” she replied, amused, tapping her fingers on his chest for emphasis.

“It seemed like a good one at the time,” Roman said with a dramatic sigh, “come on in, guys,” he answered, raising his voice. 

Dean walked in a moment later, followed by Seth with wet hair, straight out of the shower. 

“Oh, and what are we interrupting in here?” Dean said, waggling his eyebrows as he sized up Roman and Lucy, still tangled around one another.

“A show you are not invited to,” Roman answered him with a chuckle.

“Aww, not an exhibionist, babe?” Lucy asked playfully as she shifted off of his lap to sit next to him on the couch, leaving her legs stretched across his lap. 

“Dude, who are you kidding? We’ve seen your dick so many times, I could pick out of a lineup,” Dean scoffed, and Seth doubled over with a loud cackle.

Roman felt himself turning scarlet, but couldn’t help laughing out loud all the same, and Lucy let out a fit of giggles.

“I was mostly thinking of you, with these animals running around,” Roman said through a laugh, inclining his head towards Dean who was still grinning like that cat that caught the canary.

“Always such a romantic, our Romie,” Seth teased, batting his eyelashes as he perched on the edge of the bed.

“Ugh, please, never ‘Romie’,” Roman protested, sending the entire group into another laughing fit. 

The laughter continued for another few minutes, and then Seth spoke up again. 

“So, where are we off to?” he asked, “I heard something about you having an agenda planned,” he gave an encouraging nod to Lucy, “which I totally approve of, by the way.”

“Well, I mostly had touristy stuff on the docket day,” Lucy said, “Tower of London, the London Eye, that sort of thing- Roman said you hadn’t been to a lot of that stuff when you were here last.”

Roman nodded as she continued, Dean and Seth murmuring their agreement. The truth was, when the three of them typically traveled, they were so laser focused on work that seeing the places they were going was last on the list. When they had discussed what it would look like to have someone not from their world joining them, the men had agreed that stretching their days to include more exploration was the way to go. 

He smiled to himself as Lucy and Seth volleyed plans back and forth excitedly. They’d been nearly everywhere and seen next to nothing, and that was all about to change. He stroked his thumb across Lucy’s thigh where it rested, wondering if she even realized that she was broadening their horizons just as much as they were hers.

“And later tonight, after Raw, I booked a ghost tour for all of us,” Dean said, bouncing on his toes excitedly, “Naomi, too. I invited the twins, but they’ve got something else going- Naomi’s bringing Paige, though.” 

“I’m always down for spooky stuff,” Lucy said happily, “sounds like we’ve got a packed day ahead. 

“Then we’d better get to it,” Roman said, pulling Lucy in for one last quick peck on the cheek before they all headed out the door. 

<hr>

The morning was a flurry of activity as they ventured from destination to destination. Their first stop was the Tour of London, spending a couple of hours marveling at the beautiful architecture, and they even got to see the ravens being fed as they walked by the South Lawn. 

Next up was the Leadenhall Market, a large covered market that both Seth and Lucy had insisted on visiting. The two of them ran ahead several times, pointing out various shops and displays to one another. As they made their way through the throngs of people, Lucy drifted back to Roman’s side, grabbing his hand and beaming up at him. He felt a happy glow settle over him as they looked up at the sparkly lights that had already been strung up for the holiday season, along with large swags of garland. They turned a corner to see a massive Christmas tree, adorned with red and gold ornaments, along with scattered bows and tiny packages. 

“We should take a picture,” Lucy said, squeezing Roman’s hand excitedly. 

He looked into her eyes that were lit up so brightly, and he smiled broadly, handing his phone to Seth. 

“Would you mind?” he asked, snaking an arm around Lucy’s waist as they centered themselves in front of the tree. 

“Like you even needed to ask,” Seth said, grabbing the phone from him eagerly. 

They froze in place and smiled as Seth took approximately twenty pictures, making sure to try each and every angle, and Roman bent down to sneak a kiss on Lucy’s cheek for the last few. He felt her cheeks warming as he did so, and she let out a soft giggle. 

I am so lucky, he thought.

“Can I take one of you three?” Lucy asked when Seth assured them he’d got the shot, and the three men posed quickly, doing their best to avoid drawing too much attention. 

Their last stop before the men had to head to the arena was the London eye. The four of them joined another couple of groups in one of the large oval shaped pods- the views were breathtaking. As they rose to the top, the River Thames glittered beneath them, and Roman recognized Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. 

“I’ll be heading over there when you guys are getting ready for the show,” Lucy said, pointing to Westminster Abbey, “after that, I figured I’d take a little time and wander- see if I stumble across anything fun.” 

“Don’t go getting lost on me,” Roman said with a chuckle, “or you know Liza will be coming for my head.” 

The four of them shared a laugh at that. 

“Nah, she’ll be fine,” Dean piped up, “us wolves know how to find our way around.” 

Roman smiled softly as Lucy and Dean exchanged a look, acknowledging their shared need for space every now and again. With Roman’s encouragement, Lucy had opened up to Dean about the discussion he and Lucy had back at her apartment when the four of them were at the airport. As Roman had expected, Dean had been more than understanding- he was actually relieved that someone was around who understood the urge to just take a step back from everyone and catch your breath.

When their pod reached the ground, the foursome exited and found their way to the street littered with taxis. Roman, Dean, and Seth were going to run quickly back to the hotel for their bags and gear as Lucy continued on with her solo explorations. 

“We’ll see you after the show,” Roman said, pulling Lucy into an embrace and giving her a brief kiss. 

“Go kick some ass, babe,” she replied, stealing another kiss as she released him, “later, guys!” 

“Have fun,” Seth said, pulling Lucy into a quick side hug before crawling into the car after Dean, who waved his goodbye. Roman climbed into the passenger seat, and they were off to go to work. 

----

After figuring out their spot on the card for the night and throwing around a few promo ideas, Roman, Dean, and Seth decided to grab some food from catering. As Dean built his usual sandwich, Roman and Seth filled their plates of the various steak, chicken, and greens on offer. As they grabbed their silverware, Paige approached the station next to them, her dark, glittery makeup already on, though she was still in a tank top and a pair of leggings. 

“Hey guys,” she greeted in her thick English accent, taking a plate from the large stack, “I hear we’re going ghost hunting later.” 

“Hopefully just touring,” Roman said with a chuckle, “I didn’t bring any gear for catching Casper.” 

Roman decided that his plate was full enough and stepped aside to wait for Dean and Seth so they could scope out whatever little place they’d find to hunker down backstage. 

“I bet we do see something tonight,” Dean, taking a big bite of his sandwich and swallowing before continuing, “how awesome would that be?”

“Well, if not, I know of some pretty haunted places in Nottingham,” Paige said as she set her food down at a table next to where the men were standing.

“Have you explored around there a lot?” Roman asked, realizing he hadn’t thought to ask her for advice about where to take Lucy while they were here- though with her research skills, it turned out they had more than enough options. 

“A little bit here and there, but not really since I’ve left home,” she answered, “these days I’m mostly just around that area for work. But I can definitely tell you where all the best places to find a practice ring are,” she finished with a small laugh. 

Seth walked over with his plate, ready to go and eat. Roman turned to follow him and Dean when he saw, at the same time as Seth, that the latter had wandered back over to build himself a second sandwich. Laughing to himself, Roman decided to sit and eat with Paige a little bit before his food went completely cold. Seth followed suit - even though Dean was the one who didn’t care for staying around all of the people in catering, this was not an unusual occurrence. 

“I bet you’ve got your pick of any gyms or rehearsal spaces you want around here,” Seth said conversationally, stabbing at some asparagus with his fork. 

“Yeah, pretty much,” Paige agreed, “perks of going into the family business.”

Roman nodded his agreement, and took a few more bites of his food when an idea suddenly came to him. 

“Alright, let’s get outta here,” Dean said, cocking his head towards the hallways, carefully balancing his plate with a comically piled high sandwich. 

“Oh now he’s ready,” Seth mumbled, sliding out from the table and grabbing his plate. 

Roman went to stand, paused, and then sat back down, tapping his fingers on the table distractedly. 

“Actually, you guys go on ahead,” he said quickly, glancing up at his brothers, who were both looking at him with confused faces, “I’ll catch up in a little bit- same spot as last time, yeah?”

“Yeah…” Seth answered warily. 

He studied Roman for another moment with a furrowed brow, exchanging a glance with Dean, but not pressing for anything further. Another thing that made Roman forever grateful for their bond- even when they acted as strangely as he was now, the trust was always there. 

The two men left, Dean shooting him one last quizzical glance over his shoulder before they disappeared around the corner, and Roman waited until they were out of earshot before he turned back to a bewildered Paige. 

“Now that you mention it,” Roman said, keeping his voice low, “I think there’s something you could actually help me out with.”

----

The show went fantastically, as expected - the London crowd was one their best of the year, every time. Dean had put on a great match to retain his United States title, and the three of them tore the house down in a match against Daniel Bryan. 

Lucy was in the audience, and Roman could swear he had heard her cheers rising over the roar of the crowd once or twice during their match. He spotted her amongst the sea of people, and managed to catch her eye right before he hit a spear, which added an extra spark to his usual rush of adrenaline. 

Fresh out of the shower, Roman walked out of the locker room and found Lucy waiting in the backstage viewing area. She looked up when she heard his approaching footsteps with a smile that lit up the room, jumping up to greet him. Roman smiled broadly, bending down to kiss her as soon as she reached him, wrapping her up in his arms. Lucy made a contented sound as their lips met, resting her hands on his waist and leaning into him. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of watching you out there,” she said, gazing into his eyes.

“Glad to hear it, ‘cause I like having you here,” Roman said, feeling a swell of emotion as he spoke. 

Once again, he was struck by how meaningful it felt knowing Lucy was in the crowd, cheering him on. His job had been his entire world for so long, and suddenly the beautiful woman looking up at him had become a part of it. 

He looked down at her, brimming with adoration, and noticed that she was wearing a Shield t-shirt that they’d just released a week or so ago.

“Dean or Seth give that to you?” he asked curiously- in all the rush of getting ready for tour, he hadn’t had a chance to open the package of new merch he’d received yet.

“Nope,” she replied with a shake of her head and coy smile, “I bought it at the merch stand before the show started.” 

“You know I would have given you one, babe,” Roman said, absentmindedly tucking a curl behind her ear.

“Yeah, I know, but I want to support you on my own, too,” she said insistently, and Roman smiled fondly, shaking his head softly. 

“And don’t worry, baby,” she said, lowering her voice as he noticed a glint in her eye, “I’ll let you help me break it in.” 

Roman swallowed hard, heat rushing through him at the vivid memory of her riding him while wearing his hoodie. Her head thrown back, eyes closed, curls wild, moaning as his cock was buried into her tight, wet heat, falling to pieces around him. 

He shifted on his feet, willing his blood not to go directly to his groin as they were still very much surrounded by his friends and coworkers. Roman growled quietly, bending down so only Lucy would be able to hear him when he spoke. 

“If you keep breaking our agreement about teasing,” he warned, holding her stare and curving his mouth into a half smirk, tightening his hold and firmly pulling her closer,  “I might have to teach you a lesson.” 

Lucy’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open into an “o” shape as she released a quiet gasp. The expression only lasted for a moment, however, as she quickly blinked and fixed him with a mischievous grin that instantly had Roman wanting to pull her into the closest room he could find. She stood up on her tiptoes and leveled him with a dangerously sparkling look in her eye.

“Promise?” she asked in a husky whisper. 

That was a challenge if he’d ever heard one. And Roman never backed down from a challenge.

He opened his mouth to assure her that he would absolutely be making good on that threat when he saw her eyes dart over his shoulder and- 

“Lucy, hey!” he heard a familiar, cheerful voice exclaim from behind him.

Roman cursed under his breath, but grinned nonetheless, releasing his hold on the woman responsible for his growing erection. 

“Hi, Naomi,” Lucy smiled, shifting her gaze briefly back to Roman to throw him a self-satisfied grin. 

She brushed against the tent in his pants before gently pulling him to stand behind her, mercifully obscuring the view of anyone who happened to walk past. 

“Hey,” Roman said casually, tipping his chin up in greeting and releasing a slow breath in an attempt to regain his composure. 

“How’d you like the show tonight?” Naomi asked Lucy. 

If she noticed anything was amiss, she was polite enough not to comment on it. 

“It was so great,” Lucy said enthusiastically, “you were awesome!” 

“Thanks!” Naomi said. The two women chatted back and forth for a while until Paige, Dean, and Seth all eventually joined them, and the conversation quickly switched to the excitement about their ghost tour as they made their way out of the building.

----

“One of the most, if not the most famous ghost to be seen around England is of course the spirit of the beheaded Anne Boleyn…” said Antonia, the guide of their ghost tour. 

They stood outside the Tour of London, and though they had visited the same place just hours before, the building held an air of foreboding at night. 

Roman glanced at Lucy, rapt at the story about the late Queen of England. Their tour had been a great mix of history and local folklore, often weaving tales that blurred the lines between the two. She shivered slightly, from either the subject matter or the chilly breeze, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. He looked to his right to see Dean, hyper focused on their guide, while Seth was fidgeting a little, doing his best not to show that he was scared- ghosts and horror were not his thing. Not really Roman’s either, if he’s being honest, but he enjoyed the tour all the same. Lucy must have noticed the same thing, as she looked at Seth’s face, noticing that his eyes had gone wider than normal. 

“Hey,” she nudged him, speaking softly, “you good?” 

Roman’s mouth curved into a little smile at her concern, turning to Seth as well. 

“Yeah, thanks,” Seth responded with a half smile, “I’m just glad this is our last stop. Any more stories and we’d be sleeping with the lights on I think.” 

“At least we didn’t actually see anything,” Roman said, keeping his voice low so as not to interrupt Antonia, “can you imagine? Dean’d be booking us one of these in every city if a ghost had shown up.” 

“Small miracles,” Seth said wryly. 

The tour concluded, and the guide asked the group if anyone had any final questions or requests. Lucy and Dean joined her by the fence guarding the tower, firing questions off excitedly. Naomi looked equally as relieved as Seth, letting out an exhale and a grin. Roman watched as the two of them got to talking and, satisfied that everyone was temporarily distracted, approached Paige. 

“So?” Roman said, raising his eyebrows and keeping his words short, but hoping she’d know what he was referring to. Judging by the pleased grin on her face, she had. 

“We’re all set,” she said with a nod, “I’ll text you the details later.” 

Roman stomach fluttered excitedly, and his face broke out in a wide smile.

“I owe you one,” he said, glancing over at the rest of their group. 

He immediately stopped talking as he saw Antonia leaving with a wave, and Dean and Lucy walking in their direction. 

----

When his alarm went off the next morning, Roman groaned and sat up to turn it off. He left the light off for now in an attempt to let Lucy sleep, ambling to the bathroom in the dark to start getting ready for another round of morning media. He washed his face with warm water, feeling marginally more awake as the fabric of the washcloth pleasantly scrubbed against his skin. He combed his hair into his usual bun, and as he began brushing his teeth, he picked up his phone with his free hand to scroll for a little bit. 

He had a lot of notifications. 

It wasn’t unheard of- he and the boys had a decent following online, and they’d put on a great match last night. But when he opened Twitter, the photos he was flooded with weren’t of him in the ring- in fact, some of them weren’t of him at all. What he saw instead was photo after photo Lucy, and his heart began to pound. 

Lucy and him at the airport. Lucy and Naomi chatting in the background as he posed with a couple of kids. He and Lucy in front of the Christmas tree from yesterday. The four of them in the London eye. Lucy cheering him on in the crowd at Raw. On and on it went, the same photos posted, repeatedly, from every possible angle.

And of course, as these things go, people were speculating wildly, throwing out every possible theory and opinion. 

user6214: Roman Reigns linked to new, unnamed female superstar.

user52585: who does this girl think she is?

user052886: guess ring rat dreams do come true

user120785: new member of the shield? oof, bad idea. they’re getting desperate.

user727: Roman can do way better.

He tossed his phone on the counter angrily, rinsed out his mouth and released a frustrated growl. He scrubbed his hands over his face, resisting the urge to pound his fist on the counter, if only because it might wake up Lucy. 

He snatched up his phone, exited the bathroom, and knocked on the adjoining door as softly as he could possibly manage while still making it audible. Roman glanced over at Lucy, relieved to see that she was still sound asleep. 

The door was opened by a tired looking Dean, and Roman walked quietly into his and Seth’s room, letting the door close behind him.

“Have you checked your phone today?” he asked shortly, cutting right to the chase. 

“I assume you’re talking to him,” Dean rasped, nodding his head in Seth’s direction before flopping into bed and curling up in the rumpled sheets. 

“I ran out first thing and just got back,” Seth said, shaking his head and gesturing with a to-go cup of coffee, looking at Roman with concern, “why? What’s up?”

“Look at this,” he said, shoving his phone at Seth and sitting on the edge of the bed with a grunt. 

Seth took a sip of his coffee and scrolled through with a look of concentration. After a minute, his eyebrows rose, and looked up at Roman with pity in his eyes. 

He could feel the anger growing, and he buried his face in his hands, leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs. 

“How did I not think about this part?” he groaned, “why did I not prepare for this?”

He lifted his face, bringing his hands together and clasping them, resting his chin on his fingers. 

“How could I not have prepared her for this?” he asked, growing more and more frustrated. 

He didn’t know where to direct his anger first.

Roman was fuming. He was mad at the people online spreading pictures of Lucy around like wildfire. He was especially angry at the ones making up rumors and spouting off disgusting opinions. Most of all, he was furious at himself for forgetting that people could be watching them anywhere, leaving Lucy completely vulnerable to this sort of thing.

“What is it?” Dean asked, alarmed, sitting up and walking over to where Seth continued to read, peering at the screen over his shoulder, “oh, shit,” he muttered quietly.

Roman didn’t respond, feeling as the anger continued to radiate off of him, shaking his head bitterly. 

“It’s not so bad,” Seth said gently, setting the phone down. 

Roman met his eyes, shooting him a disbelieving look.

“I mean, it’s not like it’s anything scandalous,” Seth pressed on, “people are always going to say stupid shit, but all things considered, it could be much worse.”

“He’s right,” Dean agreed thoughtfully, “they could’ve caught you guys in that park.” 

“Not helping, D,” Roman said gruffly, letting out a pained sigh. 

“Seriously, though, it really isn’t that bad,” Dean said, leaving the table and sitting next to Roman, “it’s a lot, and it sucks, don’t get me wrong, but my bet is she’ll handle it like a pro. She’s a journalist, she gets how this stuff goes.”

“Yeah, I guess…” Roman acquiesced, his rage dying down a fraction, “I just wished I would’ve warned her. Feels like I just tossed her right into the lion’s den.”

As Roman stewed, he remembered the lecture he’d received from his father. His frustration began to build again as he realized he would absolutely be hearing about this mess from Sika.

“Want me to see if I can get us out of the podcast this morning?” Seth offered, breaking the silence that they’d slipped into over the last few minutes.

“No, it’s fine,” Roman said with a shake of his head, “I could use the distraction. Thanks, though. How long have we got?” 

“We need to leave in about twenty minutes,” Seth answered, glancing at the hotel clock on the nightstand. 

“Alright, I’ll go get dressed and let you guys get ready,” Roman said tiredly as he stood and made his way back to his and Lucy’s room. 

He stepped through the door and eased it closed quietly behind him. As he turned around, his heart sank and his stomach dropped as his eyes rested on Lucy. 

She was sitting up in bed, sheets draped across her lap, the only light in the room the glow of her phone screen as she stared down at it. She looked up at Roman as he slowly approached the bed, her face set in a soft frown as quiet, glistening tears rolled down her cheek.