Roman couldn't believe his eyes. She had grown up in the few years that she had been busy traveling the world. No matter what, she always made time to come see him since her schedule is a bit lighter than his. He's known her since she was eighteen, and now she was about to turn twenty-eight. She looked completely different now, and he was excited to spend time with the woman he claimed to be his best friend.
"Roman Reigns." He turns around at her voice. "You sure are a sight for sore eyes." She smiles at him, and he immediately pulls her in for a hug.
"I've missed you, baby girl." He says and pulls away from her. "How have you been?"
"Um." She chuckles nervously and then starts fanning her eyes. 'I promised I wouldn't cry." She looks up towards the ceiling and composes herself once again.
"Come on, follow me." He puts an arm around her waist and guides her to his locker room. "Okay, now why don't you tell me what's going on?"
"I don't even know. I was fine right up until you asked me how I was." She chuckles nervously. "You're the only one that ever does." It breaks his heart hearing her sound so broken. She had always been the positive, confident type.
"How long are you in town for? Why don't you stay with me? Catch up?" It was the relationship they always shared. She really was his best friend in the whole world, despite the age difference.
"That's exactly what I need." She wipes her eyes, and he opens his arms again for her to walk into. "Thank you."
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Roman made sure to watch her carefully as she settled in. From what she told him, she's in town for three weeks. The most he has seen her in years. He decided to cook dinner for the two of them while she showered and took a few minutes to herself. He could tell something was really eating at her, and he hoped it wasn't anything too serious. She has the tendency to overthink with her anxiety, and it gets really bad sometimes.
"Watcha cooking good looking?" She jokes with him as she enters the kitchen. "I smell chicken."
"You are correct, baby girl. You used to always love my homemade chicken tenders, so I made you that with some mashed potatoes, and I've got you some of your sothern sweet tea to go with it."
"I could marry you right now." She moans as she takes a bite of the food. "I only eat this stuff when I'm around you."
"Why's that?" He asks her, and she shrugs her shoulders. "Don't lie to me."
"You just don't judge me like other people do, and..." She pauses, looking down at her plate. "I haven't really had it since my dad passed away."
Y/N's father was close to Roman's. He passed about five years ago, the last time he saw her, and he was there for her as much as he could be.
"No one understands me like you do, and I've been struggling so bad lately." She runs a hand through her hair, and sighs heavily.
"You know you could have called me and I would have been there for you, sweet girl. Im on a part time schedule now and I would have dropped everything." Roman tells her, and she can't help the sobs that come out. "Come here." She doesn't budge, not wanting to feel weak. Roman takes it upon himself to walk over to her, and pulls her into his arms. "I've got you, babygirl. Always."
She sobs harder into his chest, and he rubs her back soothingly. "I always worry about you. You're always on my mind. I will always have your back."
What she doesn't know, is her father asked him to watch over her. To take care of his stubborn, strong-headed daughter.
"Thank you." She mumbles against his chest, and he presses his lips to her forehead. "For being my person."
"Always."
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"So, Y/N sure has grown up, hasn't she?" Seth asks, teasing Roman as he pulls his eyes away from her.
"Don't start." Roman says, rolling his eyes at his best friend. Seth has always seen the dynamic between the two. "Once rumors like that start it will seem like I groomed her or something."
"Not to the people who have known you two for the past decade." Roman knew that he was right, but with the way people thought these days, it could end up a possible controversy. "I'm just saying, it seems to be mutual between the two of you."
"It does?" Roman's ears perk up at that confession from his best friend.
"She looks at you when you aren't looking at her. Like she's literally doing it right now." Roman tries his best not to turn around, but his best friend watches as the light in his eyes returns for the first time in a long time with a smile. "I think it's always been there between you two, and from what Beks told me, she seems to be wanting to settle down."
"She told Becky that?" Roman asks, and Seth nods. "I know she's had relationships, but from what I've heard, she hasn't found anyone."
"I'm pretty sure none of those have worked because of you." Roman's heart literally fluttered at the sound of that.
"I mean, I've always felt this sort of protection over her, but I always thought it was just because her father asked me to."
"I get that, but have you really looked at her?" Roman's eyes dart over to where she stood, laughing and talking with the fellow superstars. It was the first time Roman had let himself really observe her. Seth was right, she was truly beautiful, and her confidence just radiated through the room. He always knew she was pretty, but always had in the back of his mind how wrong it was. Now, when he looked at her, it was different. He had looked at her from time to time like that but would feel guilty.
"I think you just got me in trouble." Roman groans when he turns back around. Seth just laughs quietly, and continues eating his food when the girls show up to the table.
"So, Becky invited us to their barbeque this weekend. Can we go?" Y/N asks, and Roman nods. "Yay! I can't wait to see their house!"
"Come on, you need some lunch." Roman pulls her to sit next to him while Becky does the same. "Order whatever you want, babygirl." Roman says, casually leaning back, and draping his arm over her shoulders. She smiles at him, and relaxes into his body. Roman looks over at Seth who was giving him an 'I told you so' look.
Meanwhile, Y/N was blushing and looked over at Becky who shot a wink to her. Roman was trying to subtly give hints, and ended up grabbing her hand to hold in his. Was he doing the right thing? Would she like it? When she gladly accepts it, and even runs her thumb over the back over the back if his hand has him feeling relieved.
"Roman." Y/N says, looking up at him as she finishes her lunch. "Can we go shopping? I need an outfit for this weekend."
"Of course we can. You ready to go now?" Roman asks her, and she nods excitedly. "Alright, well thanks for lunch you guys. Next one is on me."
"See you guys on saturday!" Becky says before Roman and Y/N leave.
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"Are you sure I look okay?" Y/N asks, standing in the mirror. She had on tight black shorts, and was wearing a body suit beneath it. Her hair was down, and curled and she had done her makeup.
"When do you not look okay?" Roman asks her, and she blushes, looking down. "But yes, you look wonderful babygirl." Y/N can feel the shift in dynamic between the two of them, and she was eating it up.
"You don't look bad yourself." She turns to him, helping him straighten his shirt. "Then again, I don't think you could look bad if you tried."
"Are you flirting with me?" Roman teases her, but she just shrugs her shoulders.
"Red is your favorite color, isn't it?" She asks, and he looks down at the bodysuit which was red. She giggles when she sees his face. "Come on, we're going to be late." She goes to walk off, and Roman grabs her and pulls her back to him.
He moves her hair to her left shoulder, bringing his lips to her ear. "Two can play at this game, babygirl." He whispers, and her whole body tuns to mesh. "Don't forget who you're coming home with."
Y/N clears her throat, and Roman fixes her hair. His hands slide down to her hips, and the tension was so thick. "And here I thought this was one-sided the whole time. Well-played, Reigns."
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The barbecue was nice, and there weren't too many people. Less than Roman thought would be there, but still a packed backyard. Roman sat and talked with Seth and a few other superstars while he looked on as Y/N and Becky made their rounds. Y/n had always been a bubbly person, and friendly so it's nice to see her getting back to her oldself.
One of the new up and coming superstars starts talking to her, and it's the first time ever that Roman felt a pang of jealousy. She laughed at whatever he was saying, and to her she was probably just trying to make nice or make a new friend, but Roman could tell his intentions. He was flirting. Maybe she was realizing she wanted someone younger.
"Don't do that to yourself." Seth says, and Roman looks away from them. "She doesn't want him. Didn't you just tell me when you got here that you two were flirting back and forth before coming here?"
"I can't do this." Roman says, standing up. "Why did you have to put the idea in my head that she actually wants anything else to do with me? Dammit, Seth." He leaves, walking into the house. Seth knows he doesn't mean it, and when he looks at Becky, who then notices the empty spot next to him, she sends y/n in after him.
Roman hears her call out his name, but tries not to make a sound. He doesn't want to be found. Not like this. Not when he is supposed to be the strong one. He hardly ever shows his feelings, but she was bringing it out. "There you are." She says, but is faced with his back as he looks out of the window. "Seth said I'd find you in here."
"Just needed a minute." He tells her, but feels her get closer to him. His mind was racing, and his heart felt like it would beat out of his chest.
"Talk to me." Her hand touches his that was balled into a fist, laying against the windowsill. "What's going on in that head of yours?" He swallows harshly, and licks his lips.
"The flirting, was it real?" He asks her.
"I wasn't aware he was flirting with me. I was just being nice."
"Not him." He says, turning so his back was now towards the window. "With me, before we came. Was that real? Or were you just being nice to me?"
"Oh, so we are finally having that conversation." She says nervously, and he looks down at her. "Everything with you, is real. Ever since I was eighteen."
"Do you remember the time I was taking care of you after your pops died?" he asks her, and she nods. "Do you remember me kissing you?" Her silence was killing him as she refused to respond. "Because I do. It's never left my mind. It was in the moment, and I was sure you regretted it, but then you acted like it never happened. Why?"
"I don't know." She confesses, and he scoffs. She was lying, and he knew it. She was scared, and she always had been. The room as dark, and he reaches out to pull her to him.
"You have never had to lie to me before. Don't start now." He brushes her hair out of her face, and she swallows harshly as he looked into her eyes. "Do I need to remind you?"
"Roman." She whispers, and closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. He holds onto both sides of her neck, and tilts her chin up. "I acted like I didn't remember because that kiss changed everything. I changed how I look at you, and how desperate I was for you." Her hands reach up to cover his that laid upon her skin. "It made me realize that no man or woman could ever make me feel the way that you do."
Roman's heartbeat was sporadic now, and he didn't have the words to respond, and so he responds in the way they had both been desperate for again. His lips touch hers, and all the electricity in the world was transferred to the two of you. He had always felt like a security blanket, and now you knew why. You loved him, with everything in you. You never cared about the age difference or anything else. You just cared about him. His mind, body, and soul. He was your protector from all things. Roman felt it too, no matter how much he tried to hide it, or run from it, he loved you so much. He would give you the world. He would give you anything that you asked for.
"You've always been my girl." He mumbles against your lips, and wipes your tears. "I love you." He whispers, his forehead resting against yours, all the breathing between the two of you heavy.
"I love you, Roman."
You both go back outside, and he pulls you to sit on his lap. "Looks like we have some news to share." You tell Seth and Becky who were already smiling.
"About damn time." Seth says, and you can feel Roman's chuckle from behind you. "I told you there was no reason for you to worry."
"I guess you were right." Roman confesses, and you turn to face him. You lean forward and press your lips to his. Seth and Becky hoot and holler and you can't help, but laugh at them. "Well, I think we better head out."
"They're totally having sex." Becky says, and you hide your face in Roman's chest. You can tell Roman is smirking.
"Goodbye, guys, See you soon." Roman tells them, and you wave to them before making your way to Roman's car. You get on the road, and you can still tell something was on his mind.
"What is it, baby?" You ask him, and he turns to face you. You move your hand to rub his neck.
"I don't want to sound too forwar, but..." He trails off, looking nervous. "Were you going to still stick around? I know you only have a couple more weeks here and this feels pretty official to me. I can't say goodbye like I have before."
"I was only traveling because I couldn't commit to being in one place all he time. My dad wanted to see the world, and so that's why I was always gone, but now I have you. I'm looking to settle down, and I hope that's not me being too forward." She chuckles nervously.
"Well, what if you moved in with me? Is that the kind of stability that would be okay with you?"
"Yes." She gives a simple answer, and he smiles. "If that's what you really want. I would love to move in with you."
'I think us taking this long was the right thing to do. We both got to live our own lives, and we both have successful careers. Next is hopefully marriage and maybe a kid or two?"
"You've thought about all of that with me?" She asks, with tearful eyes.
"It's all I think about." He answers her, and with the light being red, she leans over to kiss him. "Then yes. To all of it."
"Here's to forever, babygirl." He says as they pull up to what is now their home.
"Forever."