//Present Day//
Marlana's P.O.V
"We are officially on the road to Wrestlemania!" I yell into the mic and listen to the crowd react.
"That's right Marlana, and it's about time we get some worthy opponents for our tag team gold." Rachelle says.
"You took the words right out of my mouth Rachelle. We need two women who can really put us on our toes, and work for these titles." I say and look out into the crowd.
"Exactly, because we are done with Lana, and Lacey." Rachelle says and then gags and I laugh at her and bring the mic back up to my face but when I do I am hit from the back and go crashing down to the mat.
I stand back up to be met with the face of Shotzi Blackheart before she drop kicks me to the ground. I hear Rachelle fall to the mat as well. "Consider us interested." I look up to see that it was none other than Rhea Ripley.
I look up at her while trying to catch my breath, and had to hold my neck. Well, we were definitely in for a treat at wrestlemania.
Rhea smiles at me, and then throws the mic down to mat. Shotzi kicks Rachelle in the stomach one more time before they both exit the ring. I glance over at my best friend who laid lifeless on the mat.
That's one way to get our attention.
*One Week Later*
"Shotzi Blackheart, and Rhea Ripley. You two definitely know how to make a statement. You have our attention now." I say into the mic in the backstage interview.
"Don't get us wrong, we respect the hell out of y'all. But, when it comes to OUR tag team championships, NO ONE has been able to beat us." Rachelle says and we stare into the camera until they tell us to look away.
"Great job ladies!" Stephanie yells at us and we start to make our way back.
"So, I need to talk to you about something." Rachelle says as we make it to the locker room.
"Okay." I tell her and get a little worried but she laughs at my reaction. "It's nothing bad I promise." She says and I sit down on one of the couches.
"So, The wedding is in September, and Mania is in April. Austin, and I will be backing away for a little bit after Mania. We want to try for a baby." She tells me and my jaw drops at this news.
"Rachelle that's amazing!" I tell her and she can't wipe the smile off her face. "Yeah so I'm not sure what they have planned for us at Wrestlemania, but I will be taking time off a little bit before the wedding, probably in July to focus on our wedding and after the wedding is when we will start trying to start our family."
"Rachelle, you don't have to run this by me. It's your life, and I know how long you have wanted to be a wife, and a mother. I will be fine, and I can't wait to be the godmother." I tell her and she laughs and nods.
"Me neither. I am going to go catch up with Austin, and I will see you for training tomorrow okay?" She asks me and I nod at her as she grabs her title and walks out of the room.
Wow. I can't believe this is finally happening for her. She has wanted this her entire life, and I couldn't wait until she came back after having her baby. She would get a huge pop, however, now it's time for me to start focusing on my solo career until I feel it's time for Roman and I to do the same thing.
//Flashback//
Marlana's P.O.V
*Roman Reigns and Wife getting back together?*
I look at the article and see photos of him, and Galina exchanging hugs as they are with the kids and my heart sinks a little. I knew I always gave him a hard time about possibly going back to her, but I didn't think he would actually do it.
Maybe I should talk to him about jumping to conclusions? Then again, what if all of this was true and talking to him face to face would just make it worse?
We hadn't really been talking since my cast was taken off so maybe he really was just there to help me as a friend. But, would that explain the kisses? The "I love you's"? Was it all a lie?
I had just returned from physical therapy when I saw the headline on twitter, and lots of people had already speculated Roman and I so they were tweeting me about it.
The one person I hadn't heard from, was Roman himself about the situation.
I knew he had taken the kids out of state for a week, but he never goes a single night without at least texting me once.
RM: "Hey, have you seen twitter?"
Me: "Yes."
RM: "Has he talked to you?"
Me: "No, we haven't spoke in almost a week. I knew he was taking the kids, but I didn't know she would be joining them."
RM: "I'm sorry, Marlana."
Me: "I'll be okay. I knew I shouldn't have fell for him in the first place. I just need to be alone right now so I will talk to you tomorrow."
RM: "Okay, I love you!"
Me: "I love you too!"
I put my phone on airplane mode and go into my bedroom to grab clothes to change into after I take a shower.
I turn on the shower, and step into the hot, cascading water. I lean forward and let the water fall down my cold and aching body. I think back to all the moments I have shared with Roman. The intense fights with him and Galina. The kisses to both my lips, and my forehead.
The tears start to flow, and my head just kept replaying the pictures over and over again. Why would he lie? Why would he do this to me after everything we have been through already? Why make me look stupid?
I finish up my shower, and go lay into my bed, and turn the TV on, scrolling through channels although I knew I wouldn't be able to focus on anything else at the moment.
I hook my phone up to the charger next to my bed and turn off the TV, and the light in my bedroom and lay there staring at the ceiling, until my tears made me tired enough to pass out.
The next morning, I jolt awake to a loud banging on my door. I check the time to see that it was 1 in the afternoon. Fuck, was I late to something?
I run into the living room, and look in the peep hole of my door to see Roman was the one beating it down. "Marlana open up please." He says and I knew I shouldn't have, but I unlock and open my door but don't let him in.
"Marlana, let me in please. I know you saw it, but it isn't what you think." He says, his body frantic.
"It's okay, Roman. We weren't really together. I can't say it's cheating, because we weren't a couple. I just wish I was stupid enough to let you in." I say and try to shut the door, but he blocks it with his foot.
"Marlana, nothing happened. I swear." He says, and I see my neighbors come out to see what was happening. Roman looks behind me, and I wave off the neighbor to let them know I was okay. "Baby girl, let me in so we can talk about this." He says.
"Don't call me that." I say and choke on my words as tears threaten to spill over. "You need to leave." I tell him and he forces his way into my apartment.
I sigh and shut the door behind me as he walks in, and I lock it. "Listen, the internet will do this. They twist things to make it look like something else. I would never hurt you, don't you see that?" He asks me, his eyes filling with his own tears.
"Look, you haven't spoken to me in a while, and when I get on twitter I see you with her, and your kids. I don't have a reason to be upset because you are married, Roman." I say and the tears start to fall down my face. "I knew that this was a possibility, and I let it happen anyways." I tell him and my voice drops to a whisper.
"Marlana. I am telling you that nothing happened. I swear." He says and I just unlock and open the door again. "Marlana." He says and I shake my head.
"I need you to leave, please." I tell him and he sits there, looking down for a moment. He looks back up at me and stands, walking over to face me. "Please don't shut me out, Marlana." He begs me.
"Give me some time, Roman." I tell him and he bends down to try and kiss me but I stop him. The look in his eyes was pure pain, but I couldn't just forgive him that easily. That would just be what he would expect every time he screws up.
He grabs his keys off the kitchen counter and goes to the door. "I really do love you, Marlana." He tells me and looks at me before walking out and shutting the door.
Roman's P.O.V
It was killing me not to speak to Marlana. It had already been two weeks, and the most that I get from her is a smile or wave as we pass each other at work.
I missed her more than words could describe, and I wished that she would at least text me.
Just then I had a knock on my door, and I walk over and open it to see Galina. "What are you doing here?" I ask her, and her smile drops.
"I thought we had a wonderful time last week. I was wondering if you wanted to start things back up again." She says as she enters my apartment and I shut the door behind her.
"No. I didn't even know you would be joining us. That was just about the kids, that's all." I tell her, and she pretends to cry and I get another knock on my door.
This time it was Marlana. "M-Marlana?" I ask and her eyes look past me and to Galina on the couch. She frowns and backs away and starts to leave. "It's not what you think!" I yell after her, but she just runs and gets in her car, driving away.
I turn back to Galina to see that she was laughing. "Get the fuck out. Now." I tell her sternly and she rolls her eyes.
"When are you going to realize that she is just a little girl? She will never amount to me. So, just come home, RoRo." She says in a seductive way.
"Don't call me that, I hate that fucking nickname. Now, get out of my apartment or I will call the cops." I tell her and her face to turns to anger as she grabs her purse and stomps her way out.
I slam the door behind her and lock it before picking my phone up to call Marlana, but it goes straight to voicemail. I throw my phone onto the couch after the 5th call and put my hands in my hair and pull.
Everything is so fucked up right now, and I had no clue on how to fix it.
Marlana's P.O.V
Of course she was there, and of course he would have her there. I was going to listen to his side of the story, but she was fucking there.
I really don't think he would get back with her, but at the same time, she is the mother of his children.
I debate turning back around whenever I see Galina in the lane next to me crying. I turn my phone back on when I reach my driveway and see that he has tried to call me 5 times already.
My phone starts ringing again and it was Roman. I answer it as I enter my apartment, and make my way to my bedroom. "Marlana thank god, listen, she just showed up here. She's trying to get back together with me, but I don't want that. I want you." He says and I try to stop the tears from falling down my face.
"Roman." I say and stop because of the tears. "I can't do this." I choke out and hang up the phone but he calls me again. I decline it this time and crawl into my bed and start crying. My phone goes off again and it's him texting me telling me not to give up on him.
Again, I go another couple of weeks before talking to Roman. I was working NXT while he was main roster so I didn't really bump into him all that much until we had a training in the PC where him, and Seth Rollins would be joining us.
Seth starts to speak to the crowd and I see Roman looking over the crowd, and then his eyes land on mine and I quickly look away.
"Alright let's get started. Boys you are with me, and girls will be with Roman." Seth says. How fucking convenient.
I watch as everyone does the training and Roman watches intently at all of us. When it gets to be me next, Roman walks over to me. "Show them what I'm looking for. Because no one has done it so far." He tells me and his eyes linger for a moment before he looks away.
I do some rolls and bumps while running ropes and when I'm done Roman claps his hands. "Just like that ladies." He says to the group of women. "Beautiful job, Marlana." He tells me with a smile and I give a small smile back.
Everyone had started to filter out of the PC, but I wanted to stay to work on some more bumps, and I had noticed that Seth had left, but Roman was still here.
He walks up to the ring where I was, and watches me from the apron. "You look incredible." He says and I stop in my tracks trying to decide if he was complimenting my looks, or my work in the ring.
"Thanks." I tell him and bend over to get my water before sliding out of the ring.
"Marlana, wait." He says and grabs my wrist. "Talk to me, please." He begs, and I turn to face him.
"I don't know what you would like for me to say, Roman. Did you organize this whole thing to try and get me to talk to you?" I ask him and he let's go of my wrist and looks down.
"Kind of." He admits and I laugh at him. Of course he did, at least he shows effort.
"Of course you did." I say and try to walk away but he stops me again. "Roman, I don't know what you want from me!" I say and raise my voice a little.
"I want you to talk to me, Marlana!" He says, raising his voice, and he let's go of my wrist again. "I miss you. We have been distant for a little over a month now, and I hate it." He says, his voice cracking.
"Roman, I miss you too. But, I think that you aren't exactly sure who you want to be with right now. This is new for you, and I get that. I told you I didn't want anything until after the divorce was finalized, and that's still true. I just think that maybe you miss Galina too." I tell him and he sighs, looking up at the ceiling.
"Marlana, please don't do this." He begs me and looks back down to face me. "Please." He says again and his face broke my heart.
"I think we need some more time apart to figure out what each of us wants right now." I tell him, and he did the last thing I would expect him to do. He reaches over and grabs my face in his hands and kisses me.
I needed to push him away, so I tried, but ended up kissing him back. He pulls away first, and rests his forehead against mine. "I know what I want." He whispers and looks down at me, and my breath hitches in my throat. "Whenever you decide what you want, call me." He says and turns around to walk away from me, and out of the PC, leaving me dazed, and confused.
Roman's P.O.V
It had been yet another, long week since I had spoken to Marlana, but she had texted me after our night in the PC. I was currently looking at photos of both her, and I when I got a knock on my door.
I swear it better not be Galina this time. I open it, and I'm surprised to see it's Marlana. "Marlana?" I asked surprised and she smiles at me.
"I know you said to call, but I wanted to see you instead." She says to me and I move out of the way to let her in to my apartment.
"Did you want something to drink?" I ask her, and she just shakes her head and looks around the living room that she hadn't seen in over a month.
I stand there, and wait for whatever it is that she needed to say, and I hope it was something good, and not bad. "Do you remember when you told me you were in love with me? I had just woken up, and got ready for my day." She stops and laughs, looking out the window.
"Yes, I remember. I even pulled your hair up in a ponytail, just like that." I say and point out the ponytail she currently had done.
"That is one of my top 10 favorite moments since moving here to Florida." She says, and turn to face me. "I idolized you as I was beginning y career, and I made a respectful distance when first showing up here, because I knew that you were married. Everyone already knew how hot you were." She says and laughs, making me smile. "But, they have no idea about the inside." She says and points to my chest.
"Then, I talked you through the start of the separation, and the divorce, and that's when I knew I had started to fall for you too. Then of course, like every other woman on the face of the earth, I compared myself to her, to Galina. I mean she's a fucking model for crying out loud." She says and I can see the tears filling up her eyes. "And that's when I knew that I was pretty much fucked. That's when I knew that I was in love with you. And, I didn't think that I even stood a chance, until you kissed me that night on the couch." She says, and steps closer to me. "And then you kept kissing me, and cared for me. Even when I broke my arm, you were there. Rachelle kept telling me that there was something here. That you were clearly into me, but I pushed you away, because that is what I do." She says, and inches closer to me again.
"Every other person that I've been with, that I pushed away, stayed away, and moved on, but you. You fight." She says and is now standing in front of me. "And I've never had anyone fight for me, ever." She says and lays her hands on my chest.
"So, Rachelle being the person that she is, told me that she knew you wouldn't go back to Galina, after everything she has done to you, and told me to come apologize, and tell you how I felt. So, I'm sorry for not believing you, Roman." She says, and my heart continued to race, and felt like it would jump out of my chest. "I'm sorry that I kept trying to push you away, I just thought that you were way too good for me, and I was scared because I love you so much, Roman." She says and bends forward to pay her forehead on my bare chest.
"I love you too, Marlana." I say before bending down to kiss the top of her head. "You don't ever need to compare yourself to her. You are beautiful, and I've never connected with someone they that I do with you. You're my baby girl, and I'll always fight for you." I tell her, and can feel her tears fall onto my chest.
I lift her head up and wipe the tears from her eyes. "Just next time, hear me out okay?" I ask her, and she nods. I lean forward and press my lips to hers, and she responds quickly this time. She pulls away first, and looks up at me. "And you're right, I am hot." I tell her, and she rolls her eyes, and playfully shoves me away.
"Way to ruin the moment, Reigns." She says and I throw my hands up in defense. "Hey, you said it first." I tell her and she laughs, and I pull her to me, wrapping my arms around her.
She was back where she belongs, with me.
Marlana's P.O.V
I had went to NXT to show my support for Rachelle and Austin as they have their tag match against Johnny, and Candice. I was still waiting to get cleared to compete, but I continued to do some backstage work.
I feel arms wrap around my stomach, and smile. It could only be one person. "Hi Roman." I say and he laughs and kisses my right cheek before moving his arms. He moves to my right side, and I turn to look at him. "What are you doing up here?" I ask him and he looks down the hall to wave at Seth.
"Seth, and I are doing some recruiting for people to come to the main roster." He tells me and I nod my head before turning my head back to the screen. "Rachelle, and Austin are killing it." He adds and snakes his arm around my waist again.
"Roman, someone could see." I tell him, and he shrugs his shoulders at me. "Let them." He says and I sigh and turn my attention back to the match where Rachelle, and Austin win.
Roman removes his arm and goes down the hall to talk to Seth. Rachelle smiles when she sees me, and I give her a hug. "Good job, champ. Ready to give me a match?" I ask her and she laughs.
"Uh duh B! I'll just have to beat you AGAIN once you're cleared." She says and I roll my eyes and shove her away.
"Okay babe, come on. We have to do our interview." Austin says and Rachelle waves goodbye to me before walking down to do their interview.
I take the moment to walk over to Roman and Seth. "Hey Marlie." Roman says and quickly puts his arm around my shoulder. "What are you two over here talking about?" I ask and Roman looks over at Seth and smiles.
"I was actually talking to Roman and Jon here a while back. Becky, and Renee would love to hang out with you, and Rachelle." Seth tells me and my eyes go wide, and both Roman and Seth laugh at my reaction.
"Are you freaking serious?!" I say and try not to jump up and down. Seth laughs and nods at me. "Yeah, we were thinking about having this weekend getaway. You, Roman, Me, Beks, Renee, Jon, Austin, and Rachelle." Seth says.
"Yes! I would love to come!" I say and Seth takes my phone and puts his and Becky's number's in. "I have smackdown Friday night, but we can drive up Saturday morning." Roman says and Seth nods.
"Alright, sounds fun. Marlana, would you relay the message to Rachelle?" Seth asks me and I nod. "Okay then we will see you guys this weekend." Seth says and walks off, and I turn to Roman.
"I know, I know. I'm the best, and you love me." He says and I stand up to give him a quick kiss. "Marlana, people could have seen!" He says, mocking me from earlier.
"Let them." I tell him with a wink and go run to Rachelle to tell her the news.
This was going to be fun.