#but you get protective Butch and Roman so it balances?

[the-mandalorian-clone-lover]

Aces in Spaces Chapter 21

New Chapter!

Roman and Erica having been dating a little over three years now:D

Warnings for a dude being a creep and not taking hints but Roman and Erica handle it together, more Roman being a wonderfully considerate human being

Tags: @maybege​ @sunshinepascal​ @rentskenobi​ @agent-450​ @princessxkenobi​ @obaby-wan​ 

Masterlist

(This is Erica’s dress for this chapter, I imagine Roman in a black suit but his tie and pocket scarf match her dress)

It isn’t really an office party but Erica would say its something like it given the types Roman “works” with. The whole restaurant rented in advance and bustling with ‘associates’, their security armed to the teeth, waiters flitting around and everyone more than a little buzzed. She’s grown used to being at Roman’s side during events like this, mingling with those he does business with, and she’s grown used to how they usually respond. The more polite ones address her by name, the brazen ones dare to call her pet names (which usually earn at minimum a glare and Butch’s looming presence, its rarely a repeated offense), there are a choice few that still refuse to acknowledge her at all but Roman never stands for it, deliberately asking her opinion and citing her ideas. The reaction she’s currently getting however, is not any of those. Roman has been wrapped in a discussion the better part of a half hour but it hadn’t taken her long to feel the gaze of another as she sat at his side.

A cursory glance had located the perpetrator on the other end of the room, near the bar, but he hadn’t stayed there. It didn’t bother her at first, she’d been stared at before, but it kept getting worse. The man in question was older, silver-haired and tall. At first she’d blamed it on curiosity, but the increasingly predatory stares that were impossible to ignore from his deliberate placement in her line of sight didn’t stem from curiosity. At least not about anything she was going to indulge. The longer she waited the worse it would get, this much she knew. Leaning into Roman she sighed. Why did men have to be dense and persistent?

She deliberately makes a show of toying with the edge of his collar, brushing her hand along his shoulder and down his arm, if the man wouldn’t respond to her signals, maybe he would heed Roman’s.

Roman acknowledges her immediately, turning with a smile, hand covering hers and leaning down to nuzzle her bare shoulder. He whispers discreetly in her ear as he leans away, “Are you alright?”

She hums, nodding. “Just admiring.”

He smiles at the table, business demeanor cracking just slightly, and he brushes his thumb along the top of her hand that still rests on his forearm. He nods at her, getting pulled back into the conversation almost immediately but he keeps his hand over hers. Hopefully it’s enough.

She hears rustling behind her and realizes too late who it is, regretting immediately that she’d turned to look.

“Is this seat taken?”

He’s oozing charm but the only thing it accomplishes is to fill her with a desire to throw up.

She resists the urge to cover herself, his gaze making her feel as though she’s naked, but it’s not as if he can see anything anyway. Her dress is a brilliant blue, backless and v-necked but not scandalously so. Instead she chooses to lean away from him, nearly laying her head on Roman’s shoulder as she looks up at the man standing above her.

“I don’t know” She begins, voice care-free, eyes locked on his before swinging her head away. “Is it? Lover?”

Roman turns almost absently, giving the man a glance before narrowing his eyes slightly.

“Mr. Barton?”

The man pauses, seemingly surprised at the response but recovers quickly with a smile, nodding. “Didn’t think you’d remember me Mr. Stanton, it’s been quite a long time.”

Romans eyes are still narrowed and his face screws up momentarily before smoothing again and that charming grin makes its way onto his lips as he stands to offer his hand. “Well you’re quite unforgettable Ben.”

The handshake happens just above Erica’s head but she waits, Roman will introduce her, and hopefully make a show of it.

They sit back down in unison, Roman’s arm falling to rest on the back of her chair as Ben’s comes to rest on the table, Erica lets her own fall back into her lap before giving Roman her full attention. At his pause to admire her eyes she reaches to bring his hand from the back of the chair to her hip, unfortunately he misses the cue to be slow and possessive about it. Damn.

“This is Erica, the love of my life.” He leaves out a title and Erica falters for the briefest of moments before turning to smile at Ben, neglecting to offer her own hand and leaning back into Roman.

“Delighted I’m sure” Comes her voice and she almost laughs at herself because she hasn’t played this fake in years but, it seems the situation calls for it. She decides to add on, “Roman and I have been together for years” (it’s true) “he’s never mentioned you.” Ben offers a hand anyway, giving her a grin as if he’s caught her in a trap and she shrugs absently.

“Sorry- my hands are busy.”

She knows the implication and oh if it doesn’t make her feel good to see him nearly choke in response.

“I—Um--.”

She feigns sudden understanding and embarrassment. “Oh—” She brings a hand to hover over her mouth, using her other to grab Roman’s hand to hold and display their interlocked fingers, “I didn’t mean anything by it—” It’s a perfect opportunity for him to jump in, she’s set the stage beautifully if he’ll just—

“No one thought so love it’s quite alright.” Roman calls over a waiter to change the subject and while it does work she isn’t sure it’ll last. She also isn’t sure how Roman is missing the way this ‘Ben’ is looking at her. Sleezy doesn’t begin to cover it.

Roman turns to say goodbye to the others he’d been talking with and Ben doesn’t miss a beat, sliding closer and leaning toward her. “So what is a beautiful woman like you doing in a place like this?” His question is soon accompanied by what Erica knows had better not be a hand on her thigh and she crosses her legs so it slides off.

“Roman is—” She hesitates the slightest second because ‘boyfriend’ doesn’t begin to cover all that he is, all the love she has for him, or all that he’s done for her. It feels so juvenile, and yet she knows Ben will read too far into anything else. “my boyfriend. And we always come to these types of things together.”

Ben has the audacity to scoot his chair close to get another hand on her, this time on the bare skin of her back above her dress. If Roman doesn’t turn around right this minute—

“He’s never said a word to me about you” His eyes move over her appraisingly, “pretty thing, any chance you’re bored with him?”

She knows disgust is seeping into her face so she decides to switch tactics.

She leans further away, turning to press her back all the way into Roman’s chest (by extension forcing him to let his hand drop again), reaching her own hand up behind her to turn him. Grabbing the back of Roman’s head and bringing his face alongside hers to turn and look at him, she hopes it doesn’t come to kissing, that’s just between the two of them—surely a few heated glances would do the trick?

Roman was intrigued when Barton turned up so suddenly, having gotten back into town rather recently from that jaunt in Europe, and it didn’t surprise him that the man hadn’t bothered to keep tabs on anyone (given his reputation and character Roman knew already which head the man used to think). It wasn’t out of the question that he was curious about Erica, she was beautiful, a head-turner in every way. It didn’t bother him necessarily that he’d inserted himself, it was common, and since they’d been acquaintances before, it made sense that he had. What doesn’t make sense is the way Erica has been acting ever since he sat down. Had Ben somehow managed to drug her? Roman knew brushing her hands along his arm was normal—she did that all the time, her comment about her hands was less so, and now nearly crawling into his lap to drape herself over his chest (and the no doubt intentional shifting of her hips that nearly landed his hand right on her butt in Ben’s full view)? Definitely not normal, and he’s, concerned, to say the least.

He attempts to be discreet, taking advantage of her head being turned toward him to move his own slightly behind her. He feels her shift and his other arm goes around her waist to secure her, was the chair that slick?

“Are you alright?”

She hums a laugh, leaning away and giving him, a look she certainly hasn’t before. A look that on any other woman would make her intentions about a bedroom perfectly clear. But Roman knows Erica, and he knows she doesn’t want that, so what is going on?

“Don’t say things like that” She pushes his chest playfully, looking around the room “Someone might hear you!”

He plays along, frowning at her as if he doesn’t understand her game (because he really doesn’t) and reaches out to grab her hand before she can pull it away. What impulse it is exactly he isn’t sure but somehow her hand ends up by his mouth and he kisses it before leveling her with an equally heated look. “You didn’t answer me.”

He keeps his voice low, deep and sultry, lips brushing against her wrist as he adds, “I don’t like it when you don’t answer me love.”

Her lips start to curl and finally he realizes. Ben must have been attempting to proposition her, ignoring her disinterest, and she seemed to be trying to put it in terms he would understand.

He drags his lips up then, to the inside of her hand and allows his eyes to wander her figure, leaning away finally to let his tongue dart out and wet his lips.

Her pupils widen a fraction and he’s somehow forgotten about everything else, he isn’t sure how much time goes by with their eyes locked, Erica looking slightly breathless but he barely manages to catch Ben coughing and clearing his throat, mumbling something about leaving before he looks away from her.

“Pardon?”

Ben looks back from where he’s begun to stand, eyes flitting to Erica who hasn’t stopped staring at Roman, before shaking his head. “Uh yeah—gonna head out, probably should get back before the jet lag hits.”

Before Roman can answer Butch cuts in coldly. “I’ll walk you out.”

Roman nods, waiting until they’re both out of sight before turning back to Erica, the embodiment of concern as he takes her in “Are you alright?”

She deflates. Moving to sit back in her chair and swallowing hard. She mumbles out “Took you long enough.” But directs it at the table.

“Sorry about that. I did catch onto the game though, can I place an official request for a code word in the future?” He tilts his head, holding out a hand on the table top, feeling like he’s crossed enough boundaries for the next four years, “I thought you’d been drugged. I’ve never seen you act that way—I didn’t think you’d want to.”

She takes another breath, wrinkling her nose before schooling her features once again. “Can we go home? I think I’ve had enough for one night.”

He nods, beginning to retract his hand but her own darts out, pulling it back onto the table and into her own. “I’m keeping this.” A pause. “It’s mine now.”

He raises his eyebrows, “Oh?”

“I’ve certainly earned it. In fact I’d like an Oscar too, much as I love you, you aren’t all that.”

He laughs out loud, giving her that open mouthed grin again “Oh really?”

She shakes her head defiantly, “Not at all. Wouldn’t have looked twice at you if you hadn’t offered me food.”

Roman gasps, other hand coming to his chest in mock horror, “I’m wounded.”

She shakes her head and Butch reappears at her opposite shoulder. “Ms. Erica I’m so sorry—I couldn’t have gotten over fast enough when I saw what he was doing—I can’t believe he had the audacity—”

Roman’s expression clouds immediately. “What. Did. He. Do.”

Erica immediately waves a hand toward Butch that he takes without a thought as she stands pulling Roman with her. “Not here. I want to go home.”

They do, and Roman broods the whole way, though he does take care to keep her as close as she wants to be (which is very). Her comfort is more important than his ego. Finally speaking once they’re in the door and pulling off their shoes, he grinds out,

“You don’t have to tell me. But I’m never letting him near you ever again either way.”

She drags a hand through her hair, discarding her wrap on the table and turning to let Roman unzip her dress.

“It wasn’t—” She pauses, picking her skirt up to walk to their bedroom, turning to grab Roman’s hand, to comfort him or herself he isn’t sure.

Pulling him along she sighs, thumb brushing along the back of his hand as they walk and he moves to pull off his tie, might as well multi-task.

She discards the dress over a chair in their bedroom and turns to him, “I didn’t like it. But, well. I did like it.”

He’s shocked, and maybe a little hurt. She--?

“Not him!” She amends quickly both hands coming up in a placating motion. “I meant—" She moves forward and wraps both arms around his waist before burying her face in his neck. He wraps his arms around her slowly, just barely having adjusted to her being comfortable with him touching her like this, his palms gliding along her skin gently.

“I, I liked, I liked that I knew I could act like that and I could trust you.” She pulls away just enough to look him in the eyes and he loosens his hold, fingers brushing along her spine As he looks deeply into her eyes. “I knew you had my back.” Her eyes dart between his. “We were partners. I liked it.”

He doesn’t understand, not really. But he isn’t sure how to ask.

“I mean, I liked that I—Roman what I’m trying to say is I knew that I could be sexy and act like I wanted you and you wouldn’t force me to follow it through even after he left. You always check things with me and tonight made me realize just how much I’ve come to trust that. I didn’t even really think about it, I just knew.”

Roman is very nearly floored again by her admiration of his behavior. She should expect this from anyone. This is how people should behave. “Of course” He says matter-of-factly, “Just because—” He falters for a moment, “You’ll always be allowed to tell me no, regardless of what it is. You’re a human being, not something I can do anything I like with.” He moves his hands to her shoulders and pushes her away the slightest bit, somehow he feels like touching her might tarnish this.

“You are my lover, what you want and need always comes first, even if I don’t always feel the same way about it. I—” He hesitates. He hasn’t said anything like what he’s about to since they started dating three years ago and—he still isn’t sure it’s a good idea but- she’s raising her eyebrows in question and well.

“I thought you were smokin.”

Her laughter bubbles over almost immediately, folding in on herself and wrinkling her nose before looking back up to him with a soft sigh as she smiles. “Roman.” Her hands slide under his jacket and untuck his shirt to brush her hands along his back. “I love you. So much.”

He smiles back, eyes flitting over her face before his hands come to her cheeks and he pulls her into a forehead kiss before cradling her to his chest.

“I love you too.”

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