#roman reigns x best friend reader

[kyleoreillylover]

Monster

Roman Reigns x Fem reader (platonic) & Jey Uso x Fem reader (friends to lovers)

Summary: ᴀꜱ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴ'ꜱ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴏᴍᴀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴀ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴀᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪʙᴀʟ ᴄʜɪᴇꜰ. ɴᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇꜱᴛʀᴏʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ. ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴛᴏᴘ ʜɪᴍ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴄᴀɴ, ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ʜɪꜱ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴅᴇꜱᴛʀᴏʏꜱ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʜɪꜱ ᴡᴀᴋᴇ, ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ. ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴡɪʟʟɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʀɪꜱᴋ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ɪᴛ. ʀɪꜱᴋ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴀʀᴇᴇʀ, ʟɪᴠᴇʟɪʜᴏᴏᴅ, ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟɪꜰᴇʟᴏɴɢ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱʜɪᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴊᴇʏ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʀɪꜱᴋ ɪꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴏᴜʟ.

Trigger Warnings: Manipulation, cursing, wrestling related violence, allusions to smut but no actual smut written, Roman Reigns being toxic but you’re just as toxic, etc.

A/N: This idea came to me literally by watching the Bayley vs Sasha and Jey vs Roman HIAC matches, and the inspiration just hit. I tried to base off the toxic friendship between you and Roman kinda off of Baysha, toxic and loving yet can betray each other at any moment. But I made you and Roman more lovingish? Jey is just a cutie pie as always. I worked really hard and long on this, so I hope you enjoy!

Word Count: 18,893

tag list: @southerngirl41 @venusesworld (If you wanna be a part of my tag list let me know!)

You are intelligent. Precise. You never do anything without a motive, without a deeper reason. Every move you make has a hidden agenda, built by the intricate thread of your thoughts and the smart calculations of your actions. Nothing you do is without a purpose.

Which is why Jey couldn't wrap his mind around what the fuck you were thinking. He barged into your locker room, walking over to you with the speed of an angry bull. "Are you fucking insane?" he yelled, frustration etched in every line of his face. "What the fuck are you thinking?"

You glanced up from packing your bags, your expression unreadable, but Jey knew you better than you knew yourself. He could see the storm of emotions swirling in your eyes- determination, sadness, but most importantly, anger.

Yet, you met Jey's gaze with a calmness that contradicted the turmoil inside of you. "This is between me and him, nobody else." You stated firmly, your eyes darkening with an intensity that sent a shiver down Jey's spine before you looked away from him to resume packing your belongings. "We'll settle this, trust me."

Jey scoffed, nose snarling at your words and your nonchalant attitude. "Settle this means talking that shit out, not fucking challenging him to a cell match!" His eyes bored into you before narrowing at your stuff, hand darting out faster than lightning, but you were faster, grabbing the paper and stepping back so he couldn't pull it from you.

"Give me that fucking contract! Are you tryna get yourself killed? Huh? He's twice your fucking size! Why are you doing this?!" You calmly let Jey yell at you and take out his frustrations on you. You knew he would react like this once you laid down the challenge and came to the back, but it was necessary. That didn't mean you enjoyed being yelled at, but you understood his concern.

"I'm not trying to get killed, Jey," you responded evenly, holding the contract closer to your chest. "I'm trying to get him to understand that his actions have consequences, and unless I push him, he won't listen. This is the only way I can make him listen to me."

You softly looked at Jey, hoping he, out of all people, would understand you. But he just looked at you like you had lost your damn mind, and you couldn't blame him.

"Oh, so now you tryna stop him, huh? Be a savior cause your feelings got hurt?" Jey tried to snatch the contract again, but you evaded him, your unreadable expression dropping at his words, hurt flashing across your features. "You ain't in the right mind, you too angry to push away your fucking pride." Jey continued, his tone accusing. "I know you hurt, but you can't let that pain blind you. This ain't the way, and you know it."

You glared back at Jey, the hurt in your eyes replaced with a fire he'd never seen directed at him before. "Fuck you! This isn't just about that, and you know it." Your mind traveled back to a couple days ago. The blood. The pain. The tears in your eyes as you stared up at Asuka holding your title, that she beat you for. She might've cheated with her mist to get it, but there was no spinning it how you put it. You lost.

But you lost more than just a title. You lost a part of yourself too. You knew that being apart of the Bloodline meant owning up to your shit and taking scrutiny from Roman, but as his best friend, the very person who built up the Tribal Chief in the first place, you foolishly thought you were exempt from the harsher side of it.

That illusion shattered last week, when he tore you apart verbally in the middle of that ring, claiming that you turned complacent and weak, using your friendship as a crutch and throwing back your loyalty and insecurities in your face. Then he rubbed it in that he was looking out for you, and to do that you couldn't get another title match until he deemed you worthy.

Your heart burned with anger and humiliation, but you let him run his mouth, uncharacteristically staying silent and let him 'look out for you', accepting the hug he offered after the verbal lashing, even if it felt more like a gesture of dominance than genuine comfort.

But Jey saw the look in your eyes as you hugged him back. He saw that glint of anger, the spark that you wouldn't let die out, and he tried to calm you down before you let that fire burn and did something reckless. He let you cry into his shoulder for the first time, let you unveil your emotions behind that cocky facade you yielded that he knew deep down was just a crutch you used to not get hurt.

And he let you cry into his arms when Roman did it again, and again, and again, pushing you into a corner, not deeming you worthy of standing in his corner, claiming you would cost him and the twins a loss since you knew so much about losses. And when he did let you in the ring during his promos, he would make snipping comments about you, throwing you insecurities back in your face again. But he always said he did it out of love, to toughen you up, to make you- his best friend- realize how great you really are. And that- and Jey always holding you back with his arm and his knowing warm gaze- is what always stopped you from snapping at him and holding your tongue.

Until last week, when after the twins lost last week he blamed it all on you for being in their corner even though you were ejected. You were about to just shut your mouth and let him yell at you, but he then told you to take off your Bloodline and give it to him until you were ready to have it back.

And that was the last straw.

You don't know what took over you- but it was like the ghost of Satan took over your body. You screamed at Roman, the rage you'd been bottling up for so long finally boiling over.

"You want this?" You ripped the jacket from your body, throwing it at him with intensity and marching over to him with so much anger Jey thought you were gonna throw a punch at him.

"Fuck you, Roman! Fuck you!" Your voice shook with hurt and sadness, and a thousand other emotions you felt take over all your senses and sting your eyes with tears as you moved closer to Roman with speed he didn't even know you had- to punch him, to slap the taste out of his mouth, to simply try to physically show him how much he hurt you, you didn't know.

But Jey grabbed you before you could do anything, wrapping his arms around you tightly and holding you back.

"Take your stupid fucking jacket, and shove it up your a-"

"Hey, hey, calm down babe," he murmured, trying to soothe you as you struggled against his hold, holding you with a strength that matched your anger.

"No, I won't calm down! You wanna keep on fucking doing this? Keep on fucking blaming for everything? Every fuck up? Treating me like shit even though I've been nothing but loyal to you? Hurting me like my feelings don't mean anything to you? Like I don't mean anything to you?!" You shouted, your voice quivering with emotion as tears unwillingly streamed down your face.

"Like I'm not your best friend! Like I'm not the one who always been by your side before you became the Tribal Chief, always had your back, always gave you everything and poured myself into everything that made you happy, always believed in you before you even believed in yourself?!"

Roman's face was still stoic as he sat and took in your outburst, but his eyes were filled with a mix of surprise, anger, and realization- like he knew how far he was pushing you. He watched as you tried to claw at Jey's arms, desperately attempting to push him away to break free and let out your hurt directly onto Roman. But Jey just held on tighter, holding onto your kicking and struggling form to stop you from doing something you would regret.

"You are my best friend." Roman finally spoke up after what felt like hours, clenching his jaw and staring at you with a hardened glare that you couldn't decipher, that you couldn't recognize, and it dawned on you that you couldn't recognize him, couldn't recognize the man that you cared for more than you cared for yourself.

He stood up, and you gradually stopped struggling as he came closer to you, his blue eyes starring daggers at you as he softly cupped your face, his calloused hands touching your cheeks, the contrast between his touch and his cold glare jarring. "And sometimes you need to show the ones you love the truth so they can understand the pain they cause."

Roman's voice was chilling, but his eyes were tangled with emotions that felt foreign and unsettling, and your skin crawled at the unfamiliarity in his demeanor. "And once you do that, hurt them before others do to help them, you protect them from further pain."

You moved away from his touch as if it burned you, glaring at him with rage you hoped burned him from the inside out. "You really think I'm stupid? Think I don't see what you're doing? Trying to pretend your doing this out of the goodness of your heart so that I'll fall in line? Well, newsflash, I was already supporting you before any of this tribal chief bullshit even got to your head, before any of this meant anything to you. I didn't need a title to show you loyalty, I just needed you to be my best friend."

Your voice turned somber, your heart still hurting but the anger giving away to sadness, and for a moment Roman gazed into your eyes, really looked at you, like he was staring at your soul. Seeing the pain reflected in your toffe-colored eyes, the tear stains on your cheeks, your trembling form, the scars he etched into your soul with every callous word and cold gesture He saw it all, all the anger you wanted to unleash on him. But he also saw your guarded vulnerability, the part of you that just wanted to hug him and just forgive him, tell him everything would be okay, the part of you still hoping this was all a bad dream.

But that moment passed as fast as it came, and your face dropped into an unreadable gaze, and you wiped your tears, straightening your back and wiping your face and heart of any vulnerability you allowed him to see. You felt Jey's breath against your back, and you looked up at him, asking him the silent question to let you go. Jey's concerned brown eyes were boring into yours, and he didn't need to say anything, he understood everything you meant. He slowly let you go, backing away from you, giving you the freedom you needed.

You took a step back, never breaking eye contact with Roman. This time it was him who couldn't recognize the look in your eyes, but he knew one thing. It didn't mean anything good.

"You think you're the only one who can hurt others? Hurt them with what they love?" Your voice was scarily calm, each word measured as you faced Roman with a piercing glare. "You wanna play the game I taught you how to play in the first place? Then let's play."

A bitter laugh escaped your lips as you turned to the door, your gaze never leaving Roman.

"Trust me, we're gonna see who really is the Head of The Table. And once we do, you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

With that, you slammed the door shut behind you, not looking back at the concerned and stunned look Jey was wearing and the scornful yet regretful expression Roman wore as he watched you leave.

Jey didn't know what that threat would carry out, what you would do, but now standing across from you, seeing it blaze out of control, he feared he was witnessing the unraveling of your carefully crafted self-control. He couldn't let you destroy yourself to prove a point to Roman, no matter how much he understood your pain.

"This ain't the way, and you know that. You guys can talk this shit out like fucking adults but instead you want to get him to sign the shit too you can kill each other in that cell, and for what? Huh? To prove a point? To satisfy your ego?"

You clenched your jaw, moving closer to Jey, your eyes ablaze in anger. “You think I'm doing this because I enjoy it? Because of my ego?" You scowled, the intensity of your gaze burning through him."I admit, I have an ego, but at least I have the balls to own up to my mistakes! Roman acts like he is perfect, like he is untouchable. But I'm gonna prove that nobody is above the consequences of their actions, not even him."

Jey paused for a moment, his eyes boring into yours, and you could see the gateways of his emotions through his eyes. You saw the anger that mirrored yours, his protectiveness of you shining through his brown beautiful eyes that seemed to be made for staring at you, but you also saw the stubbornness, and you knew he wasn't gonna let this go without a fight. Jey searched your eyes for any sign that you were willing to back down, and when he found none, he groaned in frustration, running his hand across his face, heart torn in two different directions.

"You're proving to him that he has control over you." Jey's voice turned softer, eyes staring at you with understanding, he knew what you were feeling. Helpless. Out of control. Powerless. He knew even you would snap sooner or later, no matter what he did. But he didn't think you would risk your career, your life, your bond with Roman, to show him your retribution.

"Come here." Jey beckoned you, his arms open as he waited for you to make a move, hoping to stop your spiraling, to reach deep into your soul and mend the shattered pieces and help you piece them back together.

You stared up at him, your anger slightly softening as you saw the concern and care in his eyes. Jey saw the change in your demeanor and pounced, making the first move and enveloping you in his warm arms, and you finally felt at peace for the first time in what felt like forever. You breathed in his woody scent, shutting your eyes and relaxing into the crook of his neck, feeling some of the tension start to release from your body.

It felt calming. Jey was calming. He was gentle. Like the waves of an ocean lapping against the shore, slowly eroding the jagged edges of your anger.

Jey gently slid the contract out of your arms, setting it down on the table and sliding a hand up your body, stroking the back of your hair gently, as if he could mend your emotions with a single touch.

"Remember Hell in a Cell, when I went through all that pain, all that suffering, just to prove something to Roman? To prove I was worthy, to prove that I can bleed for this family, that I can be the guy for the family?"Jey's voice broke through the comfortable silence, his arms tightening around you at the memory.

You nodded against his neck, recalling the match vividly. The anguish, the pain, the brutality, the utter disconempt and fear of that night etched into your memory. The absolute hurt on Jey's face as you watched him watch Roman force Jimmy into a chokehold, forcing him to watch his brother in agony, screaming I quit over and over again until Roman finally let go of Jimmy, making Jey shake his hand before officially becoming Tribal Chief.

Rikishi doned him with the red flowers around his neck, Jey's heart heaving with pain and hurt as you shook Roman's hand in congratulations before making a beeline for the cell, your smile dropping as soon as you turned to the Twins and took in Jey's pained and saddened features, the bruises on his body making you want to shield him from anyone and anything as you dropped to your knees and hugged him so tight he almost couldn't breathe.

You and Jimmy helped him to the back, and it was that night you truly saw how twisted you have made Roman become by pushing him to become the Tribal Chief.

You wanted the best for your friend, for the family, but at what cost?

Jey pulled away, cupping your face in his hands, forcing you to meet his gaze. "You remember how it felt, right? The pain, the helplessness. Do you really want to go through that again?"

You shut your eyes, trying to ignore his logic and just focus on how you felt. On how Roman made you feel. But Jey wouldn't let you make the same mistakes he did.

"Open your eyes, babe. This aint just about you and Roman. It's about the whole family. You're not just putting yourself through hell; you're putting everyone through it. You're putting me through it. You're putting Roman through it. Hell, you're even putting Jimmy and the others through it. And you know what that's gonna accomplish? Nothing." Jey's hand firmly gripped your chin, making you open your eyes, and the raw sincerity and honesty in his eyes cut through the haze of your emotions.

"Because at the end of the day, this is what he wants. He wants to push you to your limits, to see how far you're willing to go for him. And if you go through with this, he'll think he's won. He'll think he's broken you."

You swallowed hard, your mind racing at Jey's words, his eyes penetrating the stubborn walls you had built around yourself like he had done a thousand times. Roman could get under your skin with ease, but Jey could do something he couldn't and that was reach your heart.

You couldn't lie to yourself and say Jey didn't have a point, he did. But the darker part of you craved the satisfaction of proving Roman wrong, of making him regret ever thinking you were a pawn in his game that the could just play. You wanted to hurt him the way he hurt you, tear his ego to fucking bits, and if you had to take his title and put your body through hell to teach him to not bite the hand that fed him, you were more than willing.

"He can't break me, because I'm the one that built him. I'm the reason he's Tribal Chief in the first place." You pulled back a bit, looking at Jey defiantly. "I made him, Jey. And now I'm going to unmake him if I have to and show him that I created him, and I could destroy him just as easily."

Jey's expression softened, and he let out a frustrated breath as his hands traced your jawline. "Please… don't do this. He'll sacrifice anything for power, and you will do the same. You guys are so similar… But where he's lost himself in that power, I've seen you fight to keep hold of who you are. You didn't let the power consume you, take over you. And I won't let it, no matter what you say."

Jey pulled away from you, his hands dropping to his sides. "I ain't letting you destroy yourself for him, let him do to you what he did to me. I love you too much to let you do that." He grabbed the contract from the table, crumpling it in his fist and ripping it to shreds, moving from you when you tried to protest.

"Jey, I'm doing this for you, for all of us, for Jimmy. But most importantly, I'm doing it for Roman." Your soft gaze turned back into an unreadable glare as you moved away from Jey and zipped up your bag, throwing it over your shoulder and watching Jey as he threw the contract in the trash. "And I'm not gonna let you stop me."

Jey stared into you, your eyes, your heart, your soul, and saw the stubbornness in you, the anger in you, the same fire in you that he had. And he knew your mind was set.

"I don't care what you say, I don't care what you do, and I don't care how mad at me you're gonna get. I ain't letting you do this, no matter what." Jey could be just as stubborn, his eyes turning determined and voice hardening, firm and final.

You casted Jey one last look as you threw your bag over your shoulder and made your way to the door, your hand on the door handle.

"I love you, but this something that needs to be done, something I have to do. And this is your official warning to not stand in my way Jey, or you'll regret it. I don't want to hurt you." You spoke with a chilling resolve, your skin prickling with the way Jey stared at you, like he had already lost you before this all begun.

The door creaked open, and you walked out, leaving behind a heavy silence in the room. Jey sighed in frustration, grabbing the nearest chair in his path and throwing it against the wall.

“Fuck!” He screamed out in frustration, rubbing his temples, his blood rushing in stress.

Jey knew that if you got that match official, that if you poked and prodded and got Roman to sign that shit, which you most definitely would, it meant war.

And Jey wasn't gonna let the war happen, because it would take your soul away in the process.

But you were willing to sacrifice your soul for the devil if that's what it took to bring Roman to his knees and burn his ego before it burned you.

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"I can't thank you enough for training me, you are one of the best so this is an honor." You giggled at Bron's compliment, giving him a blinding smile as you walked through the hallway, ignoring Roman's pointed glare you knew was on you as you passed by his room, wrapping an arm around his waist and moving closer to him.

"Oh, trust me, the pleasure was all mine. I can tell the future is in really good hands. I'm really interested in how your career will pan out in NXT." You took his hand in yours and laced your fingers with his, enjoying the way his pupils widened slightly with surprise and delight at your touch.

"Are you just interested in my career or something more?" Bronn smirked, squeezing your hand gently. You couldn't help but chuckle at his comment, it was so easy to get these guys to become putty in your hands with a few simple words.

"Maybe a bit of both." You replied, licking your lips, making his gaze drop to your glossy lips, and you knew it was time to strike so this can be over as soon as possible. "I heard you can spear pretty good, even better than Roman. Maybe you could teach me how to execute it perfectly?"

Bronn chuckled, " I might be able to show you a thing or two. But be warned, it's harder than it looks."

"Then maybe you're just not as good as you say you are."

You smirked at the intrusion, turning to the new voice and seeing Roman standing behind you both, his arms crossed over his chest, his steely gaze fixed on both of you. He looked unbothered, man bun slicked back to perfection and red Bloodline jacket showing off his muscled frame. But you knew him better than that, knew he was ticked off, his jaw was set, and you could see the flicker of annoyance he tried to hide in his eyes.

"Ro." You gave him a sweet smile, but he could see right through it, rolling his eyes when you made a point to show. him your interlaced hands. "Did you need something? I'm kinda busy here."

Roman smiled right back, but it was anything but sweet. It was deadly. "I need to speak with you. In my office. Now."

You smiled even wider and pretended to contemplate it. "But, me and Bronn were in the middle of something important here. Right Bronn?" You batted your eyes at Bronn, making him swoon and Roman internally groan.

"Yeah, we wer-"

"No one cares what you think. I was asking to speak with her." Roman sharply interrupted Bronn, his tone firm as he locked eyes with him. Bronn's gaze hardened, but before he could do anything you gave his hand a gentle squeeze, making him look at you.

"I'll catch up with you later, Bronn." you said with a reassuring smile, hoping to diffuse any tension he was feeling.

Bronn looked between you and Roman before reluctantly nodding, letting go and walking away, shooting Roman another glare.

"You didn't have to scare him away. He was nice."

“Baby, we all know you don’t like nice guys. Now are you coming?” Roman's voice held a note of impatience that you loved to cause as he arched an eyebrow, waiting for your compliance.

You gave a playful shrug, a smirk curling your lips. “Sure, but make it quick.” You tossed a teasing wink towards Roman before following him down the hallway, anticipating flooding your senses.

Roman held open the door for you as you entered his office, his blue orbs never leaving your face. You could cut the tension with a knife, neither of you wanting to give the other an inch as you sat across one another, neither one of you not wanting to give in. Whoever talked about the problem first loses.

“I see you’ve lowered your standard’s recently. Bron, really?”

You scoffed at the disappointment in Roman’s tone. “What, are you jealous? Mad that he’s everything you wished you could be at his age?”

Roman chuckled darkly, shaking his head slightly at your attempts to anger him. "You know jealous isn't my thing, sweetheart. But being honest is."

He leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands together with a knowing smirk on his face. "You really think I wouldn't notice you trying to replace me with a wish version of me? Please, don't insult me."

You raised a brow at the dig, relaxing into the chair and fiddling with your fingers, not giving him your undivided attention. "Ro, you really think that low of me? I would never do anything of the sort. I thought you thought better of me. Thought highly of me." You finished your sentence with a roll of your eyes, but Roman could hear the thinly veiled pain in your voice. Pain that he caused. Pain he needed to be caused in order to make you feel no more of it in the future. He just wished you understood that.

"I do think highly of you. Why would you say otherwise?' His tone was confused, but you knew better than to pretend he was playing dumb. He was baiting you in, trying to see if you would be the first to crack.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you aren’t acting like you do?” You snipped at him, trying to mask your hurt with annoyance.

Roman sighed as if he was tired of all of this even though he was the one who caused all of it. He picked up a remote from his desk, then leaned back in his chair, turning on the TV, his smirk never leaving his face. “I saw your promo last week.”

Your eyes flickered to the screen, seeing the footage of your emotionally charged promo airing on the screen. You watched your words play back, the anger palaphable and spreading over the arena. The two of you watched it in deadly silence, and once it was finished you turned back to him, the contract in your hand that you waved around while challenging Roman resting in his hands.

“Are you asking me to take back my words? Cause if so the answer is no.”

Roman turned off the TV, his smirk dropping as he turned to you with a serious glint in his eyes. “I’m not asking you to take them back. I’m asking you to reconsider them.” He dropped the contract onto his desk, and you noticed his signature void from it. “I’m not signing it.”

Your jaw tightened at that, picking up a pen from his desk and sliding it towards him. “Maybe you should be the one reconsidering your words.”

Roman chuckled and took the pen from you, never leaving your eyes as he shot it in the trash can. You think this is a joke?” You met his stare with a hard glare, not flinching from the sound as he leaned forward, his gaze intense as he stared you down. “You think shit is a joke?”

You leaned forward, matching his intense energy. “ I think you're playing a game, Roman. And I'm just trying to keep up and win.”

He let out a frustrated groan, slamming his hand down hard on the table. He cracked first. Bingo.

“You want to talk about winning? You’re playing a game you can’t win, sweetheart. And that’s because I make the rules. And unlike you, I don’t have time to play games.” Roman’s voice was menacing, an angry edge threatening to spill out.

You straightened in your chair, meeting his gaze head-on, not intimidated in the slightest. “Then prove it. Sign the damn contract. What’re you scared of?”

The two of you stared each other down, neither giving an inch in hopes of making the other give in. The two of you were mirrors of each other: Manipulative, stubborn, driven by your own motives. The difference between you both was that you were loyal by a fault.

And he wanted to test how far he could push that loyalty.

Roman’s face turned from impassive to sadness in a fleeting moment, a hint of regret crossing his features. He shook his head slowly, not matching your challenging gaze. “I’m scared of hurting you.”

You blinked at his words, taken aback by the switch of emotions but not willing to admit it, letting him continue. “You think I don’t feel? That I don’t feel hurt when I have to be the guy to punish everyone, to set the rules, to make tough decisions? Sometimes I don’t forgive myself, but I do it to protect everyone, including you. I thought you would understand that.”

Roman paused, his gaze flickering to the contract on the desk, a pained expression haunting his features. “But my father taught me to never lay a hand on a lady, on those who are loyal. And you’re more than just any lady, you are my best friend, my right-hand woman, the one person who helped me build myself up when no one else would help me.”

Your heart softened despite the warning signs going off in your head, the caution you tried to put up against his words. He was playing the game he was too good at, trying to appeal to your loyalty, and you were struggling to not give in.

He leaned forward and extended his hand towards you, his gaze pleading. “I can’t sign that, and you know why. But you also know I’ll always have your back. I’m just asking for yours now. Asking for my best friend to understand. Asking for the person who helped build me to not try to destroy me.”

Your was face stoic but your eyes telling a thousand words as you narrowed them at his hand, not speaking for what felt like an eternity until finally, you slid into his, his calloused hand enveloping your smaller one and testing the waters by squeezing it gently, smirking internally when you let him. You finally cracked.

“Ro… I’m not trying to destroy you.” You squeezed his hand back in return, waiting a beat before giving him a smile laced with dynamite. “I am trying to destroy the person you’ve become.” Roman’s smugness quickly faded away as you snatched your hand away from his, standing up and grabbing the contract from his desk.

“But since you don’t want to play ball with me, I’m gonna have to make you sign this contract the hard way. See you on Smackdown, Ro. Watch your back. You'll regret not making things right with me."

Your hand went to twist the knob to storm out, but Roman's voice cut through the air, stopping you in your tracks.

"You can't destroy something you made."

You froze at the door, the weight of his words sinking into your heart. Roman sensed this and stood up from his chair, his soulless blue eyes fixated on your form. "You made me, and I made you."

You turned back, meeting his intense gaze with an unwavering storm brewing in your eyes, the tension crackling between you both like electricity. "Then get ready to watch me tear it all down, Roman."

The door slammed shut behind you, leaving Roman staring at the closed door, wondering if that would be the last time he'd have a chance to reason with you, the last time he would have a chance to have you keep on being the glue that held the Bloodline together, held him together.

But he knew one thing.

He selfishly wouldn't let you leave him no matter the cost.

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"If you're gonna tell me I'm stupid, I'd appreciate it if you'd just get to the point."

Naomi giggled next to you where you both sat in the tiny corner of the bar, the neon ights casting a warm glow over the both of you, drinks in hand as you relaxed for what felt like the first time in forever.

"I wasn't gonna say that, but thanks for the permission," Naomi teased, nudging you with her arm.

You chuckled, taking a sip of your drink before leaning back against the bar. Naomi saw the sad expression that flickered across your face and turned to you with concern.

"I hate seeing you like this." She grabbed your hand, offering a reassuring squeeze. "Talk to me."

You sighed, meeting Naomi's gaze with a mixture of frustration and sadness. "It's just... things have been so stressful. Especially with Roman. He's just... not the man I used to know. He keeps hurting me, and I didn't know how to handle it anymore, so I just blew up. Now I have everyone telling me how dumb I am for challenging him. I can't take it."

Naomi listened to your word vomit, squeezing your hand again to comfort you. "Look, I know he's your best friend and all... and he cares for you in his own twisted way... but you have every right to look out for your self. Be selfish. Don't let no man walk all over you, not even him."

She paused, her gaze searching yours, wishing she could take all your pain away. "Maybe I can get Jimmy to leave early, talk to him, sort all this out?"

You heart warmed at the gesture, but you instantly shook your head in rejection. You knew Jimmy would drop anything for you, you were like the little sister he never had, but he was finally seeing his family after months of being on the road, and you didn't want to bother him.

"I appreciate it girl, but I can handle this on my own. I need to do this myself." You replied, offering Naomi a small but appreciative smile.

Naomi nodded understandingly, her gaze still filled with concern. "Okay, but promise me you'll call me if you need anything, okay?" You nodded with a smile, grateful for her support. She was the sweetest friend you could ever ask for.

You nodded with a smile, grateful for her support. She was the sweetest friend you could ask for, and you couldn't be more thankful she was here for you right now. "I promise."

She let go of your hand and gave you a reassuring smile before picking up her drink. "Alright, then let's forget about our problems by drinking them away tonight!” Naomi raised her glass, and you followed suit, clinking them together in a toast.

“This is why I love you!" You drank it all in one go, fully determined to let go for one night and forget about everything. What could go wrong?

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You threw back another shot, waving your arms around and grinding on a man that had been trying to sweet talk his way into your pants for the past half-hour. The music blared through the crowded club, drowning out your thoughts, making you focus on the alcohol pulsing through your veins instead.

Naomi left a few hours ago, but you opted to stay and dance the night away. The man whose name you forgotten turned you around, his hands resting your waist as he smirked down at you. He wasn't bad looking, hair slicked back, a chiseled jawline, tall and muscular. "I'm gonna get us some more drinks, babe. Wait for me?"

You nodded, a mischievous smile playing on your lips. "Hurry back, handsome."

As he disappeared into the crowd, you found someone else to dance with, it wasn't hard with your confident attitude and red dress showing off just the right amount of skin. You threw your arms around the new distraction, peering up at them through your lashes, your lips parting in a sultry smile. He smiled down at you, arms sitting on your waist, hovering over your ass.

You danced with him for a while, until you yelped when he brought you closer to him, grinding against you more aggressively, licking his lips at the sight of you. "Mind if I kiss you?"

You leaned in, your lips just a breath away from his ear. "I don't mind at all." You leaned in to close the distance between the two of you, so so close to his lips, your own lips almost brushing against his, if you moved just a bit closer you could lose yourself in them-

"Wow, this is a new low for you."

A arm wrapped around your waist and yanked you away from the stranger. You spun around, slightly disoriented, looking up to see the man you had been trying to forget all night- Roman. His eyes were dark with disappointment as he stared down at you, and that made all the feelings you've been trying to ignore rush back. How dare he be disappointed in you when you've done nothing wrong?

You jerked away from his grip, scowling up at him. "You would know about low's wouldn't you?" You spat, the alcohol fueling your anger.

Roman's jaw clenched, his gaze piercing into yours. " And I guess you know a lot about lows, considering the company you're keeping tonight." He retorted, turning to the stranger who was still standing nearby.

"You are going to leave her alone, and get the hell out of here, now." The stranger quickly raised his hands in surrender, not wanting to fight for some drunken encounter. He mumbled an apology before making a fast exist, leaving you alone with Roman.

"Guess I'm following in the footsteps of my tribal chief." you sneered, crossing your arms over your chest. "I would say best friend, but he doesn't seem to remember what that means anymore."

Roman's expression hardened, his nostrils flaring with barely contained frustration. "You're embarrassing yourself. What the hell are you doing?"

You scoffed, his words hurting more than you'd like to admit. "Embarrassing myself? Says the guy who parades around, claiming to be the big, bad Tribal Chief. Maybe I'm just trying to see how it feels to be a heartless asshole, just like you."

Roman's eyes narrowed at your low blow, and he pulled you to a quieter corner of the club, away from prying eyes and judgmental stares. The music still thumped in the background, but the tension between you and Roman was louder.

"I don't want you to be me. I want you to be you." Roman growled, his voice low and intense.

"But this? This isn't you. The person in front of me is an embarrassment, is a disgrace, a mockery of everything I thought you were." His eyes scanned over you, as if he was looking into your soul, searching for something you didn't know existed. "You are better than this."

You laughed bitterly as his last sentence threw a dagger into your heart, a harsh edge to the sound. "Better than this? Better than what, Roman? Better than being the friend who stands by while you tear me apart?" You yelled at him, your voice attracting the attention of some curious onlookers, one of which pushed past people to get to the two of you. Roman's gaze didn't waver, and he stepped closer, the heat of his anger radiating off him.

"You don't get it, do you?" Roman shot back, his voice edged with frustration. "I tore you apart because I care, because I saw you losing yourself, becoming weak. I did it to make you stronger, to make you realize your potential. But you just can't see that, can you? Can't see how weak you've become. "

Your fists clenched at your sides, the alcohol mixing with the swirling emotions inside you. "And you wanna know what I see?"

You got into his face, your breath hot with anger, and you could see every emotion relfected in his eyes. "I see a power hungry man who is a shell of a person he used to be. I see a man who so desperately wants to be accepted, to be loved, to be respected, that he is willing to leave behind his morals to achieve it, to be come the monster he used to despise. You are a monster."

You moved closer to him, your breaths with each other, the air so suffocating you could taste the tension. Feel your two manipulating minds clashing against each other. mingling with his, the air thick with tension. "And you know what's the saddest part? I created this monster. I pushed you to become the Tribal Chief, and now I have to destroy what I made."

You could see the hurt in his eyes that you loved to be able to cause and throw right back in his face, his jaw tight. He matched your energy, glaring you down with an intensity that made your skin burn. "I became the man I needed to be to lead this family. I became the Tribal Chief. If you can't understand that, then maybe you never really knew me."

You chuckled darkly, your eyes never leaving his. "You're right." you said with a bitter laugh, the taste of regret lingering on your tongue. "But you never knew me if you think I'm just going to stand by and watch you destroy everything we built together."

Silence. The silence suffocated you more than the loud music ever could. Everything else faded away as you looked in the eyes that used to hold so much warmth.

Now they were cold, unrecognizable, filled with a distance you never thought possible between the two of you. You waited for a response, for some sign he understood, stared into his soul, waiting for a glimpse of the friend you used to know to emerge from the shadows that you had created.

It felt like an eternity before he spoke up, your breath catching in your throat as he leaned in closer to you, his lips hovering over your ear, his scowling face mere inches from yours.

"I love you, and I always will. But don't mistake my love for weakness." His lips brushed against your ear as his growl vibrated against your skin. "You can't destroy what you don't understand. I won't let your emotions cloud my judgment, unlike you, let it destroy what we've worked so hard for. And after this is over, you will thank me for saving you from yourself."

Roman pulled away from you, and you swore you saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a steely resolve you taught him how to perfect.

You didn't know what you were feeling. Sadness. Regret. But when you looked at him, all you felt was the hurt that he had inflicted on you, the hurt that had pushed you to this point, the hurt you wanted to cause him.

You glared at him, pushing him away from you, the lights of the club flashing in patterns all around you, making your skin glow with anger and your eyes iridescent. "The only person who needs saving is you." The bitterness in your voice matched the taste in your mouth. "And if I take the very thing that is making you lose yourself, then maybe you'll thank me when you realize what you've become."

You stared down at Roman, hoping to see a crack in his stoic facade, a sign that your words had penetrated his defenses. The man who offered to get you drinks earlier walked over to you, but you didn't talk to him, your eyes never leaving Romans as you just snatched the drink from the tray, ushering him away.

Roman's chuckles rang in your ears as you stared at his breaking of the silence, his laughs low and mocking.

"You can't even hold onto a man for a night. How do you expect to hold onto my title?" You knew he was just trying to get under your skin, and it was working, having you play into him, but you didn't care.

Roman groaned in pain as your drink burned his eyes, your grip on the glass bruising as you threw the remnants of the drink in his face, reveling in the satisfaction of finally getting a reaction out of him.

"Fuck you!" You screamed, releasing all your aggression on him, pushing him into the table. "You finally broke me, congratulations! Is this what you wanted?"

You readied yourself to throw your glass cup at him, but a hand grabbed yours, stopping you mid-motion. You turned to see Jey, his concerned eyes pleading with yours, his grip on your hand firm but gentle.

"Baby, listen to me." His brown eyes bored into yours, worry etched on his face. You turned back to Roman, but Jey's voice made you still, and he could tell you were listening to him. "He ain't worth it. He ain't worth all of this." He tugged on your hand again, and your grip loosened slightly but still clenched with rage. "Let go of the glass, calm down, and we can leave, go back to the hotel, put on that movie you were bugging me to watch, and I can make you feel better. Let me make you feel better, okay?"

You never stopped looking at Roman, your eyes pleading, hoping, begging him to stop you, to say something, to do something. But he never did, Jey wanted to spare you from the realization he never would.

Your eyes met Jey's when his free hand cupped your jaw, making you look at him and his calming stare, his shimmering brown orbs grounding you in reality. He gently stroked your cheek with his thumb, trying to coax you into calming down. "Please, calm down. For me?"

Roman watched the interaction with intrigue, raising an eyebrow at the way you and Jey interacted with each other, how you looked at each other like you were the only two people in the room, how you gave into him like it was natural.

He stored the information into his brain.His lips curved into a smirk, though it was masked by the remnants of the drink in his eyes as he watched Jey wrap and arm around you, glancing back at Roman, a silent warning in his gaze before leading you away to a secluded corner.

You swallowed hard, the effects of the drinks and the argument with Roman making your throat close up with emotion. You tugged on Jey's arm, making him turn to you with concern etched on his beautiful face.

"I-I need a minute, Jey," you managed to choke out, the emotions that you've been trying to suppress for so long now threatening to spill over. You didn't wait for a response as you bolted for the bathroom, the only one open being the family restroom that was empty at the time.

Your reflection in the mirror showed a face etched with pain; broken, tired eyes stared back at you, tears brimming on the edge, messy hair cascading down your face. The facade you had tried to uphold shattered in that moment.

You splashed water on your face, trying to wash away the anguish, but it lingered, clinging to you like a heavy cloak you couldn't get rid of. Roman was right. You looked like an embarrasment. You were mess. You were a disgrace. You called him a shell of a man, but now you realized you were becoming a shell of the person you used to be.

The first tear came, falling silently down your cheek, followed by another, and soon, you were trembling, sitting down on the dirty floor and silently sobbing into your hands. You deserved this. You weren't innocent, and you knew it. You happily let him hurt others in hopes of making him happy, gloating about your own power over people, only to end up hurting yourself in the process. You deserved this, deserved the karma coming over you for all the hurt you've caused. You let out a muffled cry, wiping at your face.

A knock on the door made you stop in your tracks, the sound pulling you out of your head for a moment. "Can I come in?" a soft voice called out.

You took a deep breath, trying to compose yourself before responding. You didnt want anyone to see you like this, so vulnerable. "No."

The knocking stopped, but you heard the door handle twist. "Let me rephrase that, I'm coming in." It was Jey's voice, and he didn't wait for your response before gently pushing the door open and stepping inside.

He immediately spotted you sitting on the floor, tears streaming down your face, and his heart clenched with concern. "Hey," he murmured softly, crouching down beside you, his warm hand landing gently on your back.

You tried to wipe away the evidence of your breakdown, but Jey caught your hand, stopping you. "Hey, it's okay," he reassured, his voice tender. "You don't have to hide anything from me."

You shook your head, unable to meet his gaze, feeling utterly exposed and vulnerable. You hated feeling like this, and you hated showing it even more. But something about Jey made you want to let your guard down, let him see you for you, not for your cocky facade.

"Am I a bad person?" You sniffled, the question lingering heavily in the air as you looked up at Jey with teary eyes, begging for reassurance, begging him to heal your heart.

Jey's expression softened even more, his eyes full of empathy as he looked at you. "Nah, you not a bad person." he said firmly, his voice laced with sincerity. You scoffed, shaking your head in disbelief, not fully convinced by his words.

"But I am Jey." Your voice cracked as you peered up at him, tears streaming down your cheeks.

"I've done things… I've hurt people, I manipulate everyone… I'm cocky, and egoistical… I lash out at the ones I care about… I'm just like him. And I don't know how to stop, Jey. I don't know how to fix it." You wiped at your face furiously, but the tears kept coming no matter how hard you tried to stop them. "Please… help me fix it."

You felt your hands being pulled away from your hands, and you tried and failed to look away as you stared up into Jey's comforting eyes that never failed to make you feel like you were in another universe, filled with compassion he reserved only for you.

He cupped your face gently, his touch warm and reassuring. "Look at me," he urged softly, waiting until your eyes met his. "You are not a bad person. You're just human." His thumb traced a soothing path over your cheek, wiping away a stray tear. "You ain't nothing like him, you hear me? You ain't. You everything he wished he was." Jey leaned in closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "You think I don't know the real you you hide behind that tough shit, but I do, and you can't hide it from me. The real you is caring as fuck for those she loves, kind as hell, and the most loving person I know. You got a good heart, sweetheart. You're just lost right now. But that don't make you bad. It just makes you real."

You stared up at Jey like he was made of starlight, his words making you want to believe him, make you want to look past any sense of darkness that had engulfed your heart. No one had ever seen through your facade like he did, and it gave you hope.

"Jey…"You whispered hoarsely, your voice barely audible above the soft hum of the club's music."You really think that? You really believe that I'm not a bad person?" You leaned into his touch, even though you felt like you didn't deserve it. "I didn't even try to stop him when he hurt you, though. I only cared about myself, I only-"

"Hey." Jey's voice was firm yet gentle as he interrupted you, his hand still cradling your face. "You did care. I told you that you can't hide anything from me."

He leaned closer, his forehead touching yours. "I saw that look in your eyes when you held me in that cell, when you held me that night. You fell deep into his words, his eyes, so deep that you didn't even realize that Roman was using you to get to me. And you know what? That's okay."

You savored his words and his warm skin on yours, the guilt churning inside of you slowly diminishing. "Okay?" You echoed, your voice barely a whisper.

Jey nodded, his comforting gaze never leaving yours. "Yes, okay. Because you're not a bad person for caring. Protective, yeah. A bit petty, sure. Stubborn as hell, fuck yeah." You giggled at his words despite the tears still lingering, and Jey smiled at the sound, glad to have brought a hint of happiness to you. "But bad, no. You're just you. And I wouldn't like you if you were tryna be anything else."

The tears finally stopped, and Jey wiped the remants of them gently, before pulling you into his lap, his arms massaging your back soothingly, your head against his chest, his heartbeat calming your racing thoughts.

"I know, baby. I know." Jey soothed you as you clung to him, seeking comfort in his loving arms. His arms always made everything better, and you closed your eyes, breathing in the scent of his cologne and burying your face into his chest, relaxing into the warmth and security he always provided. "I know baby. I got you."

Jey let you stayed like that until you were ready, and finally, after what felt like an eternity, you pulled back slightly, still resting against him. You gave him a small smile, a glimmer of gratitude and hope shining in your eyes. "Thank you." It was a simple sentence, but it spoke volumes. "I don't know what I would do without you, Jey."

Jey smiled softly, a genuine warmth in his eyes. "You ain't gotta do anything without me, okay? I'm here for you, always." He brushed a strand of hair away from your face, his touch gentle and reassuring. "Now, how about we get out of here, hm? Go back to the hotel, get you cleaned up, watch that movie you were talking about, and just relax?"

You nodded, feeling a sense of happiness wash over you. "That sounds perfect. You're perfect." His smile widened at your words as he helped you up, wrapping his arm around your shoulder protectively as he led you out of the restroom and through the club.

The uber ride back to the hotel was quiet, with Jey’s hand on your thigh, his gaze never leaving yours as you leaned your head against his shoulder, lost in the city lights passing by.

Jey’s arm never left your as he guided you through the hotel lobby, your feet going on autopilot as you let him take the lead. You barely even realized when you arrived at your room, the door clicking shut behind you. Jey gently guided you to sit on the edge of the bed, and you snapped back to reality when he cupped your face in his hands, his thumb wiping a bit of mascara that had smudged under your eyes.

"I'm gon' run you a warm bath, then we gon' relax in the bed, then you gon' go to sleep and forgot about everything that happened tonight and be happy cause that's what you deserve, ai'ght?" Jey softly caressed your skin, and his voice was even softer.

You nodded, giving him a small but appreciative smile. Jey smiled down at you before letting you go to go to the bathroom, but you pulled away slightly, catching his hand. "Wait." Jey turned back, concern flickering in his eyes. "What's wrong?" You hesitated for a moment, before continuing. "How did you and Roman know where I was gonna be tongight?"

Jey's expression softened, and he sighed, a sense of regret crossing his features. "We didn't plan it, not exactly," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "Naomi texted me to not bother you guys, and Roman saw the text and found out where you were. I tried to get him to leave you alone, but he wouldn't listen to me." He paused, his gaze meeting yours, searching for any sign of understanding or resentment. "I knew I couldn't leave you alone with him. And I was right."

You nodded slowly, processing his explanation. "You didn't have to worry about me, Jey," you murmured, gratitude and guilt swirling within you. "But thank you for being there, for looking out for me."

Jey's expression softened even further, his gaze unwavering as he met your eyes. He wanted to scream at you how crazy you had to be to think he wouldn't worry about how, about how much he cared for you, how he couldn't beat the thought of something happening to you, how he wished he could protect you from every hurt in this world.

But instead, he smiled softly, his thumb gently caressing your cheek.

"You don't have to thank me. I'ma always look out for you, baby." He gave your hand a reassuring squeeze, and your heart skipped a beat at the way he was looking at you- as if you were the most precious thing in the world. He smiled down at you once more before pulling away and stepping towards the bathroom. "I'll get that bath ready for you, okay?"

Jey heart pounded in his chest as you smiled back brightly at him, and again when at the end of the night when the movie credits rolled, and you had fallen asleep in his arms, finally looking at peace, the worry and pain of earlier washed away from you.

Jey stayed awake a little longer, moving you so his back was to the bed, keeping you safely cradled in his arms. His gaze lingered on your face, feeling a mix of emotions- protectiveness, relief, anger (at Roman, never at you) and a sense of love he didn't dare label. He pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, his heart swelling with tenderness as he whispered softly to you, "Sleep well, baby. You deserve it."

The anger swelled even more the longer he looked at you. This is where you belonged. In his bed. In his life. In his arms.

And he wasn't gonna let Roman take you away from him, even if it cost you everything.

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𝚂𝙼𝙰𝙲𝙺𝙳𝙾𝚆𝙽-𝙽𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃 𝙱𝙴𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙴 𝙷𝙴𝙻𝙻 𝙸𝙽 𝙰 𝙲𝙴𝙻𝙻

You fidgeted with your bracelet as your eyes burned with how intently you were watching the TV, waiting for the right moment to pounce, waiting for Roman to show his conceited ass out on TV for his weekly shit talking in the ring. This was the last chance you'd have to get rid of the thing that had been destroying everyone, the last chance you'd have to get him to sign the contract that would relinquish his control.

You took a deep breath, putting aside your emotions. You couldn't let your emotions get the best of you, you had to let them fuel you.

A text message alert flashed on your phone, breaking your concentration. It was from Jey.

I'm stuck in traffic, gon' be late. Please don't do anything while I can't stop you.

You sighed, eyes flickering to the TV and your phone. Another text message came, this time more urgent.

Don't do it. Please. I can't let you do this.

You looked up at the sound of Romans music, his smirking face and confident swagger mocking you as he made his way to the ring, Paul Heyman by his side. Your jaw clenched, the fire within you igniting as you watched him boast about how good he was, his dominance, his power, forgetting to mention the fact you helped him get the power he now yields.

You sighed resolutely, pocketing your phone and storming out from backstage, grabbing a mic from a stage tech and marching towards the ring to start the end of all of this.

Roman stopped talking at the sound of your music, his smirk dropping and Paul's eyes widening as they turned to see you striding down the ramp, contract in hand and the usual cocky smirk on your face replaced with an angry glare.

Paul attempted to intervene, but Roman shot out a hand, halting his movements, letting you enter the ring unhindered. You strutted over to him, and even across from each other, the tension was electric. Roman sat up from his chair, standing over you with a challenging stance, not surprised in the slightest at your arrival.

"What, not happy to see me?" You taunted, your voice dripping with sarcasm as you stared back at him with the same challenging glint in your eyes.

Roman's gaze bore into yours, unreadable yet intense. "I'd be happier if you acted like my best friend and supported me instead of trying taking me down."

You scoffed, the bitterness rising within you. "Oh, spare me the sentimental crap, Roman. I have always supported you. But you said it yourself." You leaned in closer to him, the fury in your eyes never fading. "Sometimes you need to show the ones you love the truth so they can understand the pain they cause."

Roman's expression hardened at you, and you saw a flicker of uncertainty beneath his stoic facade. "And you think you can handle the pain?" He challenged, his voice low and dangerous. "You know more than anyone what I've gone through. You've seen it all. Helped me through it all. Saw how it ate at me." Roman came closer to you, his presence comannading and overwhelming. "But you still wanna take this away from me."

You held your breath, your heart torn between what you needed to do and want you wanted to do. You wanted to hug Roman, tell him it was all a mistake, to take back the words you said, but you couldn't. Not when you've reached the point of no return.

"I'm not here to talk about my pain. I'm here to end yours." You held out the contract, your hand shaking slightly. "End the madness. End the hurt. End the pain. End it all."

Roman stared at the contract in your hand, his eyes flickering at the contract in your hand, his eyes flickering between the document and your determined face with a mix of emotions—confusion, anger, and a hint of something that resembled hurt. A tense silence fell over both of you as you stared at each other — the same look in both of your eyes; clash between your egos and your love.

"You really gonna do this to me?" Roman broke the silence, his voice determined yet on the edge of pleading.

His eyes were broken, a vulnerability shining through the mask of the Tribal Chief. It was a look you hadn't seen in a long time, one that made your heart ache with guilt and conflict.

"I love you! I love you so much I gave you everything you ever wanted, everything to make you happy! You're the one person I've trusted with everything. You're the one person I gave my everything to." His words pierced through you like daggers, each one stabbing you in the heart.

Roman backed away from you slightly, a frown creasing his beautiful face, the pain smacking you in the face. "You are supposed to be by my side! Supposed to rule by my side like we planned, like we always wanted." He rubbed his face, like the words he was saying were causing him physical pain. When he looked up at you, his eyes were glistening with unshed tears, pleading for some kind of understanding, some sign of reconciliation. "Please, don't do this. Don't do this to me."

Your heart wrenched at the sight of him crying, at the raw emotions pouring out of him like a faucet, and you were the cause of it. Memories flooded your mind—the smiles you shared, the laughter he always pulled out of you, the shared dreams that had brought you two closer together that you were now living out. You looked at him, really looked at him, his soul, his love, the love in him that was broken.

"Roman, I…," you started, your voice wavering with conflicting emotions. You swallowed hard, fighting back the tears but they slowly came out, but you didnt bother wiping them. You stared at him for an agonizingly long moment before shaking your head, throwing the contract to the ground next to him and backing away, silently sobbing into your hands. "I love you too. I won't. I won't do this." You couldn't bring yourself to finish the sentence, your words catching in your throat as you crumbled under the weight of your emotions tearing you apart.

Romans face shifted from desperation to happiness, the tears still shimmering in his eyes as he watched you break down. He slowly made his way towards you, his steps deliberate and calulcated as he approached you. You moved your face away from your hands, and he could see your tears under the lights, see the same hurt in your eyes.

"Then don't." You peered up at him to see Roman with his arms outstretched, waiting for your answer. Paul, who had been silently watching the ordeal with concern, now had a tooth grin on his face as he walked up to the two of you, his eyes on you.

"You see Miss, the Tribal Chief loves you, he would never want to hurt you!" Pauls voice was loud with excitement as he was literally jumping up and down at the prospect of the two of you making up. He knew just as well as everyone else on the roster the two of you together were a dangerous duo and everyone else would be happy to see the two of you tear each other apart then tear apart the entire roster, and he couldn't let that happen.

"You see him, how he loves you, how you love him. Hug it out! Hug it out! Hug it out!…" Pauls annoying voice seemed so far away in your ears as you stared at Roman, your heart torn between the love you felt for him and the pain that had consumed you.

It felt like hours before you suddenly jumped into his arms, clinging to him tightly, your tears soaking his shirt as he caught you easily and held you close.

Roman's hand gently cradled the back of your head as he held you close. "Shh, it's okay," he whispered back, his voice filled with love and understanding. "I forgive you."

You nodded against his chest, relaxing into the moment and his arms, into the man you trusted the most, not noticing the smirk on his face as he held you just as tightly as you were holding him. You finally pulled back slightly, your voice muffled by your tears. "I know."

You gave him a dazzling smile, caressing his face gently. "But you might not forgive me." You didnt give him time to think about your words before you were giving him a DDT, slamming his head into the chair.

You stood up, wiping your tears away with ease, as if you'd never wept them, staring at Roman's half-fallen form before grabbing the chair and slamming it into his back, making him finally fall down, his mouth groaning in pain.

Paul's mouth dropped in shock and horror as he stared at you, his mouth agape as he tried to moved towards Roman, who was slowly stirring, but a menacing look from you stopped him in his tracks and made him run right out of the ring.

"Forgive me?" You scoffed, your voice holding a cold edge, a stark contrast to the vulnerability you had displayed moments ago, walking towards him, throwing the chair aside and bending down to his level.

"I did nothing wrong accept believe in you! Believe you actually cared about me!" You fishing out a pen from your pocket and glared down at him. "I told you I was gonna do this the hard way." You dropped the pen in front of him with the paper and dropped down on top of him, grabbing his arm and wrenching it back in a submission move.

Roman immediately started to struggle against your hold, grunting in pain as you applied pressure to his arm. "Sign it, Roman!" You wrenched back even harder, and he yelled in pain, his face contorted in agony, but he refused to give in easily. "Sign it and I'll let go!" You pushed him towards the paper, the strain evident in your voice as you applied more pressure to the submission hold. "Sign the fucking paper!"

Roman grunted in pain as he struggled against you, gritting his teeth to try and endure it. "I'm not signing a fucking thing!"

You gritted your teeth, the desperation and anger in your eyes mirroring his determination. "You're making this harder for yourself!" you snapped, your voice laced with frustration and a hint of sorrow.

"Just end it, Roman. Sign the contract!" You gritted your teeth, the desperation and anger in your eyes mirroring his determination. You intensified the pressure on his arm, causing him to cry out in agony.

Roman finally was cracking under the pain, and you cranked up the pressure, finally making him push his free hand out towards the pen and paper. With a gritted jaw and a pained expression, he scrawled his signature across the contract. You didnt let up until the pen dropped from his hand as he collapsed, writhing in agony, clutching his injured arm.

You let go of him, taking a step back and watching him writhe in pain, the sound of his pained groans piercing through your conscience. You took the contract now bearing Roman's signature in your hands, your mind at peace with the chance to end things but your heart achds at the sight of the man you called your best friend in agony. But you knew if you wanted to keep him in your life you needed to do this.

Your head snapped back when you heard Jey's music play, his familiar eyes staring back at you as he raced to the ring, trying to stop what has already started.

But you quickly bolted out of the ring, escaping his grasp, as he lunged forward, his fingers just inches away from reaching you. You clutched the contract to your chest, the thudding of your heart matching the rhythm of your hurried steps.

Jey didnt even look at Roman, didnt even look at Paul who was yelling at him to help Roman. He just stared at you like you were the only thing that mattered, his heart wrenching with each step you took away from him.

"Don't do this!" He screamed with anguish, tears spilling down on his face as he yelled for you, the desperation in his voice making you freeze mid-step, staring at his face that held so much pain that you caused, causing an ache in your chest that matched the one in his.

"Jey...don't." You begged him, your voice cracking with emotion, your lip quivering as you struggled to form words.

Jey would understand. He always did.

"Please, don't do this to him. To us. To me!" His voice wavered as he pleaded with you to come back to the ring, to come back to him.

But you just stood there, your feet frozen in place, tears streaming down your cheeks matching Jey's. And it wasn't the fake one's you shared with Roman.

You couldn't fake anything with Jey. It was real, it was raw, and you hated every second of it.

You took a step backward, your eyes locked with Jey's, silently apologizing for the pain you were causing, for the wounds you were about to inflict.

Jey's voice cracked with agony as he watched you slowly back away. "I ain't letting you leave me!" His words were hauntingly sad, yet had a warning edge in them as you walked away, your eyes filled with tears that blurred your vision as you walked to the back, clutching the contract as if it were a lifeline, not seeing him go to the corner of the ring and clutch the ropes, burying his face in his hands and sobbing his heart out, every cry echoing out his need for you.

Your heart felt like it was being torn apart, but you knew this is what you had to do. And as you delivered the contract to Adam Pearce and got ready to go home, your mind was swirling with many thoughts, but one stood out amongst the rest.

You were going to be the one to end the monster you created, and you weren't going to let anybody stand in your way.

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You laid in bed, but your mind was far away from the comfort of the sheets and the quiet of your room. You couldn't sleep, despite the exhaustion that weighed heavy on your body. Everything that happened was playing on a loop, repeating over and over and over again, each moment etched into your memory.

The echoes of Jey's cries and the heart-wrenching look on his face haunted you. You couldn't shake off the image of his tear-streaked face, pleading for you to stop, to come back to him. But now you knew he wouldn't even want you to come back to him after this, wouldn't want you after this.

And that was the worst part of it all. You were losing the two people you cared about the most, and you couldn't even do anything about it.

Your eyes were dry from how hard you were crying all night, but now you wished you had more tears to cry, to distract yourself from everything you were feeling. You laid on your side, closing your eyes in a futile attempt to get some rest, to force your body to let you relax for once.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

You bolted upright, jolted out of your thoughts by the insistent knocking at your door. Rubbing your tired eyes, you staggered toward the door, feeling the turmoil of the night clinging to your every movement.

As soon as you swung the door open, you were met with lips smashing on yours, catching you off guard. The force of the kiss pushed you a step back, and before you could fully register what was happening, you found yourself being lifted off the ground. Your arms instinctively wrapped around the person's neck, the passion of their lips on yours sending a pleasurable jolt through your body.

It took a moment for your brain to catch up and recognize the person kissing you. It was Jey. His lips were desperate against yours, sloppy yet intense, chaotic yet loving. It was as if he was trying to covey everything he couldn't express in yours through his lips, and you followed suit, matching the fervor of his kiss, pouring all the emotions that had been bottled up inside you. Lust. Passion. Love.

He broke the kiss, his intense gaze locking with yours, his breaths coming out in erratic huffs, mirroring the pace of your heart. His eyes were red and puffy, matching your own, and your heart fluttered at the sight of the raw emotions swirling in his eyes.

"Jey, I-" Jey's finger silenced you, pressing against your lips gently, preventing you from saying anything else. His eyes were stormy with emotion as he stared at you, his expression a mix of love, anger, and desperation.

"You don't get to talk right now," Jey interrupted harshly, his voice strained yet firm. "I need to say this before I lose my fucking nerve."

He lowered you gently to the ground, his hand never leaving your face as he caressed your cheek, his touch both tender and intense. "I watched you leave, and fuck… I was about to lose my mind seeing you walk away… seeing you leave like that… I couldn't take it." Jey's voice quivered with sadness, his grip tightening slightly as if he feared you might slip away again.

"You're so fucking stubborn, so fucking determined, it drives me insane. And that's why I love you."

Your eyes widened at Jey's confession, and you opened your mouth to speak, but Jey's eyes pleaded with you to let him finish. "I fucking love you. There, I said it. I needed you to know. I need you to know that you mean everything to me, that seeing you leave tore me apart, that I can't lose you."

Tears welled up in your eyes again, and you were speechless. You didnt know what to feel. What to do. How to act. All you knew was that Jey's lips on yours and his arms around you was something you always wanted to feel.

"I don't… I didn't…" Your voice faltered, emotions choking your words as you attempted to articulate your thoughts. You searched for the right words, the perfect response to the whirlwind of feelings rushing through you. "I love you too." With that, you pushed your lips against his.

You felt Jeys smile against your lips, relief flooding through him as he depeened the kiss, pouring his love into it. Your hands found their way to his hair, tangling in the locks as you kissed him fervently, trying to convey all the feelings you couldn't put into words, his taste addicting and intoxicating, and you wanted more of it.

This time it was you who broke the kiss, your forehead resting against Jey's as he looked deep into your eyes. His fingers traced your cheek, sending shivers down your spine as his touch ignited a rush of love and lust within you. "I meant what I said. I ain't letting you go. Not now, not ever." His eyes were soft at the sight of you in his arms, punctuated each word with a gentle kiss against your lips, making you giggle softly in response.

"You are so possessive." You teased, a playful grin tugging at your lips as Jey chuckled softly. "It's hot."

Jey's eyes held an intensity at your words that made your heart skip a beat. "Why you actin' like you don't like it?" Jey smirked, his voice husky with desire, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he spoke. His hand caressed your waist, pulling you closer to him, making your heart race with anticipation.

"Oh, I like it," you whispered back, a playful smirk dancing on your lips. "In fact, I think I love it." You leaned in, capturing Jey's lips with yours in a slow, passionate kiss, your tongues tender against one another, slow and addicting before breaking apart.

"I love you." You gushed out affectionately, heart swelling for the man in front of you.

Jey grinned widely, his eyes twinkling with happiness. "I love you more," he whispered, his breath warm against your skin as he held you close, savoring the moment. "And I ain't letting you slip away again."

You smiled back at him, letting him kiss you again and again and again, let him lead you to the bed and show you just how much he loved you, show you just how much he was holding back from you, showing you just how much he cared for you.

And when the dust settled, and your souls merged into one, you found yourself wrapped in Jey's arms yet again, your head resting on his chest as the rhythmic beat of his heart lulled you into a peaceful slumber.

As Jey gazed down at you for the second time in his arms, he knew you were it for him, the person for him.

And he promised himself that if he had to protect you from yourself to keep you, even if it hurt you, he would.

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𝙷𝙴𝙻𝙻 𝙸𝙽 𝙰 𝙲𝙴𝙻𝙻

"You're up in 10." A stage tech tapped you on the shoulder, pulling you out of the focus of your thoughts.

You nodded in acknowledgement, taking a deep breath to steady your nerves.

Tonight was the night you'd finally get your best friend back, finally get the man you trusted with your life back by taking the very thing he loved the most: His title.

Your thoughts went back to Jey, as they always did as of late, and especially since last night. The two of you didnt really talk today, not because of any arguments but because you both knew what was coming tonight.

You bluntly told him that as much as you loved him, if he waved those puppy dog eyes around you while you were trying to get in the zone, it would only make things harder for you because you'd want to do nothing more but do everything to get back in his arms, which would mean give up on your plan with Roman. You wanted to win, to defeat Roman, and to make things right again.

You straightened yourself out before making your way to the entrance ramp, your heart racing with determination and nerves. You had to do this. You had to win. You had to save him.

That was the mantra running through your mind as you stepped out into the arena, your music blasting through the arena as you put your game face on, strutting down the ramp toward the steel structure looming in the distance with a cockiness that masked the whirlwind of emotions inside you.

You stood in the ring, staring up at the steel structure, the gravity of the moment sinking in as you waited for Roman's arrival. His music hit- and you turned to face the entrance, your gaze fixed on the titantron, awaiting the appearance of the man you once trusted with everything, the man who had become the very source of the pain within you.

Roman came out, the Universal Championship draped over hs shoulder, smirking and exuding the confidence and dominance you taught him as he stepped out and made his way down the ring. Your eyes met, and your gazes locked in an intense standoff, the tension that always seemed ever-present overwhelming you as you stared each other down, emotions running through both your eyes. Hate. Love. Determination.

You finally shifted your gaze away from him, your eyes flickered to the figures behind him- Paul of course by his side, doning a scared expression on his face at the sight of you- and Jey, wearing a guilty expression as he stood in the background, conflicted and anxious at the sight of you glaring at him. You told him to stay back, to stay out of this, that he would be a distr-

You noticed Roman's smirk widened at the sight, and you scoffed internally at his arrogance, realizing his plan. If he thought Jey being here would shake you up, he was sorely mistaken. You were gonna take Roman down, no matter what.

Roman finally made his way into the ring, standing across from you, pride and arrogance written all over his face, almost challenging you to make a move as he held the title high. You smirked back at him, challenging him right back.

The ref's introductions went by in a blur, and before you knew it, the bell rang, and the ref was sealing you both in the unforgiving cell.

You stared at each other for what felt like hours, until suddenly Roman slipped out of the ring, making you scoff as he made his way to the door, snatching the keys from the ref.

"I'ma lock this damn thing myself, cause I'm in control! I'm the one who decides when this ends," Roman boasted, his voice echoing through the arena as he locked the cage, slipping the key's to Jey, who took them with a questioning and guilty look on his face.

"Keep these safe for me, Jey." Roman winked at him before slipping back into the ring, his smirk slipping off as he ran right into a slap across his face from you.

The sound of your palm making contact with Roman's cheek echoed through the arena, and you smirked at the look of shock on Roman's face, as if he really expected you to lay down and let him pin you?

"What's wrong?" You mockingly pouted down at him, sarcasm dripping from your every word. "Get up!"

You pushed him down onto the floor, laughing at the angry expression on his face. "I told you to get up!" You grabbed him by the hair, dragging him up and pushing him into the corner, backing up wisely and enjoying the look of shock and anger contorting Roman's face.

Roman chuckled darkly, wiping the corner of his mouth and looking up at you with a twisted grin. "You wanna play?" He taunted, his voice laced with a hint of amusement despite the pain that flashed across his face as he stood up, stalking towards you like you were his prey.

You watched as he strided towards you, an equally twisted grin on your face. You beckoned him to come closer with a daring look in your eyes. The air crackled with tension, each step he took mirroring your own until you were standing face-to-face, mere inches apart.

"Let's play, Ro."

Let the games begin.

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Pain.

All you felt was pain as you gasped for breath, the kendo sticks raining down upon you with unforgiving force. The sharp sting of each strike left your body aching, and you laid on the mat, trying to shield yourself with your body, trying to crawl towards the ropes.

WACK. "You made me do this!"

WACK. "This is your fault! Why are you making me hurt you!?"

WACK. "You made all this happen, everything happening to you right now, you can blame YOURSELF FOR!"

Roman's cocky voice haunted you with every strike, his words digging into your skin deeper than the kendo stick. Tables and chairs were strewn all around the ring, blood coating the mat.

Roman was surprised, he wasn't expecting this much of a fight from you. You had given it as good as you got in this brutal match, countering his strength and towering height for as long as you could with your agility and in-ring intelligence, and his busted open face was the evidence of that.

But you couldn't put it off forever, and with every passing minute, your body screamed with pain, each breath as agonizing as the last. Your vision blurred, your muscles protested with each movement, and yet you refused to submit, refused to give up.

Roman stalked you as you took shelter in the corner, your knees buckling under the excruciating pain coursing through your body. He sauntered over to you, fully prepared to give you another strike, but the tears in your eyes seemed to give him pause.

For a moment, his expression softened, a flicker of something resembling regret crossing his features. He hesitated, the kendo stick poised mid-air at your face.

"Please..." You begged, sobbing against the pain, your voice barely audible between your sobs. "Stop this, Roman... please... I give up."

Roman's grip on the stick loosened, and he saw the desperation in your eyes, the genuine pain that resonated in your plea, and for a brief moment, a pang of guilt shot through him.

He hesitated, the kendo stick wavering in his hand as he looked down at you, your vulnerability piercing through his hardened exterior. "You give up?" He smiled, and Your voice barely made it past your trembling lips as you nodded weakly, the effort to speak taking every ounce of energy you had left. He studied your face for a moment longer, trying to see if you were telling the truth.

And then, unexpectedly, Roman dropped the kendo stick to the mat, stalking you with a mix of emotions on his face—anger, frustration, and a hint of pity.

He finally made his way towards you, and you peered up at him, struggling to meet his gaze through tear-filled eyes, your body trembling from the pain and exhaustion. Roman crouched down in front of you, his expression unreadable as he looked at your battered form.

You gave him a nod that spoke volumes, outstrethching your arms apologetically, signaling your surrender. "Please…" Roman studied you a moment longer hesitantly before he made his way closer to you.

When he hesitantly got close enough to you, you sat up and in one swift motion, pushed him harshly into the waiting table on the outside, sending him crashing down hard, the table splintering on impact.

You pulled yourself up weakly, sliding out of the ring and dragging yourself to Roman, staring at his broken form, staring at your broken best friend, knowing you had to break him again to save him.

You ignored Jey’s pleading eyes staring from outside the cell as you had been all match as you hauled Roman up from the table, using all your strength to pull him. “This is it, Roman," you hissed through gritted teeth, dragging him to the ring. "It ends now.”

You pinned his crumbled form, praying he would just give up now, praying he would listen to you for once.

ONE

TWO

THR-

You cried out in frustration when Roman pushed you off of him just before the final count.

Roman rolled away, panting heavily, his eyes locked on you with that same cocky defiance he had the entire match, and you couldn’t take it anymore.

You scrambled to your feet, desperation clawing at your throat. This had to end. You couldn't let it continue any longer. Your body protested every move, every breath, but your eyes flickered towards to the kendo stick laying next to you, and you staggered towards it, gasping as pain shot through your body.

All the guilt, all the regret that flooded your body since the bell rang washed away when you gazed at Roman, at his soulless eyes, in his heart that you no longer recognized. You needed to get it back. You needed to save him.

SLAM! Roman let out a pained groan that the strike at his mid-section, trying to shield himself from you, peering up at you and seeing the same soulless eyes he had staring right back at him.

SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! You slammed him with it, on his ribs, his legs, anywhere you could hit, over and over and over again, the pain in your heart matching the agony etched on Roman's face with each strike. Tears mixed with sweat, your breaths ragged as you continued to rain down blows upon him.

SLAM. “You made me do this!” you screamed between sobs, striking him in the stomach.

SLAM. “You should have listened to me!” You cried out, tears streaming down your face as he yelled out in agony as you smacked in in the jaw with it.

SLAM. “Why won’t you just stop and come back to me!” You sobbed, the kendo stick landing blow after blow, as if trying to beat some sense back into Roman, your voice breaking with every word.

Roman laid there, unable to stop you from releasing your emotions on him. Unable to stop you from releasing your pain on him, releasing everything onto him, making you feel everything he made you feel, until you let out a final guttural scream, throwing the kendo stick down and tugging your hair and collapsing in the corner, staring at the destruction you caused.

Everything that led up to this moment flashed every emotion, every choice, every regret, and every sacrifice you made. And as you looked at Roman, the confidence of his earlier gone and replaced with hurt, you knew you had to make the biggest sacrifice of your life.

You slowly walked towards him, his eyes trained on you, preparing for a blow. But you gripped his chin, forcing him to look into your eyes, a well of emotions swirling through both your orbs. Tears stained both your faces, a poignant silence in the air .

“I'm sorry, Roman," you whispered hoarsely, your voice trembling with regret, and determination. You pressed your forehead against his, tears mingling, and for a fleeting moment, time seemed to stand still.

That moment passed, and you hauled yourself up, sadness turning into a determined glare as you stared at him. “This ends now.” You pushed him down to the mat, using your weight on his back to evade his strength and grabbed his arm, wrenching it behind his back in an excruciating hold, the pain etched across Roman's face evident as he struggled against your grip, his cries echoing in the cell.

"Please give up Roman, please." You shouted, your voice cracking with emotion as you strained to maintain the hold, your entire body trembling from the effort and exhaustion.

“I need you back. I need you to come back to me!” You pulled even harder, begging him to just give up this one time.

“I am with you!” Roman finally screamed back, voice cracking with the same emotion as yours, shaking his head at the ref, refusing to tap out. He used his strength to push himself up with you on his arm, pushing himself out of the ring and hoping you would be dumped on the outside from his weight.

But you held on, holding on for dear life as the two of you dropped in front of the cell doors, dragging him back down and wrenching back as hard as you could. Your eyes locked with Roman's, pleading silently for him to end this, to give in and put an end to this.

Suddenly, after what felt like an eternity, Roman's arm finally tapped against the ground, and you let go, but the ref yelled from in the ring that the match couldn't end outside the cell.

Your eyes widened in shock, but your face turned into a snarl as you watched Roman crawl back in the ring. It was now or never. All you had to do was crawl and lock in the submission and you’d wi-

“Stop!” Jey’s pleading voice made you freeze in your tracks, realizing you were standing across from him, the cell doors separating you. You turned towards Jey, your chest heaving and your breath labored, your body screaming with exhaustion. Your gaze met his, and your heart dropped saw the anguish and fear in his eyes as he stood there, watching everything that happened unfold.

"Please, don't do this," Jey pleaded, his voice filled with desperation. He reached out towards you, his hand pressing against the steel structure that separated the two of you, as if trying to bridge the gap between your hearts.

“Don’t go through with this. Don’t do this to him. I can’t let you be like him!” His hand clutched at the steel bars, his eyes teary and his heart pleading for you to stop.

Your resolve wavered, torn between finishing what you started and the overwhelming pain in Jey’s face. The image of Roman, right where you wanted him, battered and vulnerable, flashed through your mind, intertwining with Jey's tear-stained face. And you knew what you had to do.

You turned to Jey, giving him a sad smile, your hand resting against the cold steel beside his. "I have to do this, Jey," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the pounding of your heart. "I'm sorry."

Jey shook his head in disbelief, his eyes begging you to reconsider. "No, you don't. You don't have to do this. Please, come back to me. We can figure this out together. I can't lose you like this," Jey pleaded, his voice cracking with raw emotion.

Tears welled up in your eyes, conflicting emotions swirling within you. “I’m sorry.” you repeated, your voice quivering. You couldn’t bear to look at him any longer, and turned away slowly, your body begging you to just go into Jey’s arms-

SPEAR!

Jey looked on in horror as Roman flipped your body over with a sudden spear, capitalizing off of Jey’s distraction and knocking you down onto the steel ramp outside the ring.

Roman's fierce gaze pierced through Jey as he towered over your, the vindictive triumph in his eyes sending a chill down his spine.

“That’s why you’re my right hand man!” The guilty look on Jey’s face came back as Roman gave him a beaming smile, pointing at him with a smirk.

"You da man, Jey!" Roman laughed twistedly, relishing in the sight of you lying in pain, the once familiar and loving face of his best friend now reduced to a pained grimace. Jey's heart sank as he watched his worst fears come true, watch as Roman crawled into the ring, a wicked smirk on his face as he stood over your lying body, reveling in the pain on your face.

Roman slowly kneeled in front of you, taking your chin in his hands, the softness in which he held your face contrasting the dark tone in his eyes.

"Look at me." Roman's voice was menacing yet soft, a malicious edge cutting through the air as he glared down at you, his fingers tightening around your chin. "I said look at me!" You looked at him through teary eyes, your vision blurred from the pain and exhaustion. His grip on your chin was tight, forcing you to meet his gaze, the intensity of his stare unnerving you and making your skin crawl.

"I didnt want to do this. I don't want to do this." Roman's voice was laced with scorn, his face contorted with anger. "You made me do this! You made me hurt you like this!" He snarled, shaking your head with force, the pain searing through you with each movement.

You tried to speak, to reason with him, but your voice faltered, barely a whisper escaping your lips. "Please, Roman, stop this… I had to"

He laughed bitterly at your plea, his laughter echoing through the cell, sending shivers down your spine. "Stop? Why would I stop? You have to do this, right? This is what you wanted, isn't it? To see me like this, to feel what I feel!" His voice was a venomous hiss, punctuated by the fury burning in his eyes.

You reached out, a desperate attempt to reason with him, but Roman seized your wrist, his grip like a vice, his face contorted with pure malice. "I told you I was gonna save you from yourself, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do." he growled, pulling you up harshly, making you cry out in pain as he dragged you to the center of the ring.

"And if you do what I'ma know your stubborn ass is gon' do, then I know I was right." He pushed you to the ground, putting his entire body weight on you, praying you'll pick the right choice as he pinned you.

You proved him right by barely kicking out at the last second, his body pressed hard against yours, the pain almost unbearable. Roman kissed his teeth and tutted apologetically.

"I was right, I'm always fucking right" he muttered, his expression a mix of disappointment and anger.

"You're really gonna make me do this, huh?" You struggled beneath him, trying to catch your breath, your body aching from the relentless assault. Roman leaned down, his face inches from yours, his hot breath brushing against your skin as he spoke. "You'll thank me later."

His voice was cold, devoid of any emotion and you knew you weren't gonna be able to manipulate his emotion anymore. You braced yourself, knowing what was about to come, and it was worse than anything you'd endured in the match so far.

You gasped for air as Roman pulled you into a guillotine chokehold, squeezing tightly around your neck, cutting off your air supply. You gasped and wheezed, struggling to breathe as panic set in, your hands desperately clawing at his arms, trying to break free from his vice-like grip, but it was no use.

You tried to hang on, scratching at his arms with your nails, trying to break free, but your strength was fading rapidly. The world around you faded into a blur, darkness encroaching at the edges of your vision. Your thoughts spiraled, flickering between moments of pain and memories of happier times, almost all of them including the man who was hurting you. You fought against the encroaching darkness, desperate to stay conscious, to resist the overwhelming urge to succumb to the blackness that threatened to engulf you.

"Just quit!" You could barely shake your head at Roman's screams fading away in your ear, only able to feel the air squeezing out of your body.  You didnt know how long it had been, but  you could feel Roman's anger increase the longer you refused to tap out by the tightness of his grip increasing. Just fucking quit!" 

It could've been hours, days , or mere moments—time lost its meaning as your vision was turning to black as you fought to hang on, the sound of your own heartbeat pounding in your ears. Your body fought desperately for air, the lack of oxygen making every movement feel sluggish and labored. You were on the verge of blacking out, the edges of your consciousness dimming. "Just fucking quit, god damn it! Why won't you quit?!" 

Just when you thought you couldn't endure it any longer, your body weakening and the world spinning, the pressure around your neck suddenly released.

Gasping for air, you collapsed to the mat, coughing and sputtering, drawing in deep, desperate breaths, not even having enough energy to open your eyes, let alone move any part of your body.  The pounding in your head was deafening, your body felt as if it had been through a grueling war, every muscle aching and protesting with agony.

You lay there, your chest heaving, and it took you a few moments to realize someone was shaking you gently, calling your name over and over again. The voice was faint, barely audible over the ringing in your ears, but it was persistent.

"Come on, wake up. Please, wake up," the voice pleaded, the desperation and fear evident in every word. The shaking became more insistent, and you felt a hand on your shoulder, urging you to move.

Slowly, painfully, you managed to pry your heavy eyelids open, your vision blurry and unfocused. As the world came back into view, you saw Jey's worried face hovering above you, his eyes wide with concern and fear.

"Hey, hey, look at me." His voice was shaky, filled with emotion as he cradled your face in his hands. "I got you, baby. I got you." 

You struggled to speak, your throat raw and parched, but you managed to croak out a weak, "Jey?"

Tears welled up in his eyes as relief flooded his features. "Yeah, it's me. Thank God, you're awake." Jey softly caressed your face before  letting you go and turning away from yo , and that's when you noticed the keys in his hand, and Roman with an angry expression on his face, pushed far away from you. 

Jey must've not been able to take anymore of the match and used the keys to come in and push Roman away to save you. Your eyes widened in realization and you tried to push yourself up and speak, but your body protested vehemently against any movement.

You winced, feeling the pain coursing through every inch of your being, and all you could do was watch as Jey made his way to Roman, who was sitting on the mat, the angry look on his face fading into a unreadable glare as Jey kneeled beside him, tear stains marking his face, his eyes downcast as he took Roman's hand, hoping Roman still had some sanity left to listen to him.

"Please Roman..." . Roman seemed to resist at first, pulling away slightly, but then seemingly softened at the begging tone in Jey's voice. "She won't quit... take mercy on her. She loves you. She's doing this because she loves you. You know that! And if you love her, you'll stop this!" Jey squeezed his hand tightly, putting his forehead on his, praying in his entire being that Roman will finally listen to him. "And I love her... so please... stop this."

Roman closed his eyes, the arena lights casting shadows on his face, and for a moment, he looked like a man battling his inner demons. Not the tribal chief, not an invincible power hungry individual. Just a man. 

Roman finally opened his eyes, staring at Jey- not as usual  like he could see through him- but like he was seeing him for the first time. His eyes were no longer soulless, they were vulnerable, they were hurting; they were human.

Roman squeezed Jey's hand back, a gesture that spoke volumes more than any words could convey. He nodded against Jey's forehead, and it was like they had a silent conversations they spoke through with their eyes in a language only they could understand. 

Jey's eyes lit up, and he squeezed Roman's hand back again in acknowledgment before bringing Roman into a one armed hug, all the feelings that got them to this point washed away as Jey buried his face in Roman's neck, holding onto him as if he was afraid to let go. 

Roman cradled the back of Jey's head gently, time standing still as they embraced in the ring. Roman was the one who ended up pulling away, gently breaking the embrace. He looked at Jey with emotions he couldn't put into words, but Jey understood it, understood what he was trying to say.

"I love her too, Jey." Roman whispered softly, as if he was revealing a secret he had long kept hidden. He leaned in close, so close that their breaths mingled, his hand still on the back of Jey's head. Then the vulnerability vanished. The emotions washed away. And any remants of humanity were wiped away.

"And that is why I have to do this."

Roman's understanding expression was replaced with a dark smirk on his face that made Jey's smile drop, and his lungs seize as Roman pulled him into the guillotine hold, any hopes Jey had dying down as he gasped for air, his body being pulled down to the mat as he clawed Roman's arm, desperate for release. Roman'e eyes were now cold and determined, the arena lights flickering, reflecting the conflict within Roman's eyes, torn between the man he could be and the tribal chief he had become.

You gasped for breath as you watched the horror happening right in front of you, Jey's eyes pleading for mercy as he gasped for breath, the arm that wasn't clawing at Roman desperately being held out to you.  It felt like deja vu- your mind going back to the way Jimmy had cried out, pleaded for mercy, reaching out to Jey just like Jey was doing to you right now.

And just like Jey, you couldn't do anything about it. You couldn't fight back, you couldn't manipulate your way out of it, all you could do was watch on helplessly, moving your tired body closer to Jey's and intertwining your fingers with his outstretched hand, the desperation in his eyes mirrored your own feelings of powerlessness.

'This must've been his plan all along' your brain screamed at you as you squeezed Jey's hand with all your might, your body screaming at you to do something as you watched Jey cry for mercy. Bringing Jey out here...giving him the key... making him watch everything unfold.

Roman knew Jey knew you wouldn't give up no matter what, and that would eat at him, and he used that against the both of you. The realization hit you like a punch to the gut, but a little voice in your brain couldn't help but respect him for how far he would go as a sickening feeling settled in the pit of your stomach. You knew what you had to do.

"I give up!" You yelled out, gripping Jey's hand tighter as you shouted, your voice echoing through the arena.

"I quit! I quit, Roman! You win! You fucking win!" Your free hand tapped rapidly against the mat, tears streaming down your face as you pleaded for Roman to release Jey and spare him.

Roman's gaze shifted from Jey to you. There was a glint of satisfaction in his eyes as he watched you tap out over and over again in submission, begging him to stop as the bell ringing to signal the end of the match. He didn't stop until his name rang from the speakers, and then finally, he released Jey from the hold, letting him collapse to the mat, gasping for air.

You finally found the energy to move and rushed to Jey's side, kneeling beside him as you gently cradled his head in your hands. Jey rolled over, breathing heavily, eyes filled with pain and sadness as he collapsed on top of you, his body shaking you held onto him, running your fingers through his hair soothingly, whispering comforting words even as your own tears fell.

Roman stood tall in the center of the ring, the Universal Championship slung over his shoulder, a smile playing on his lips as he gazed at the sight of you and Jey, him engulfing your body in his bigger frame protectively, comforting each other with a tenderness that seemed to contrast the brutality of the match.

Roman's eyes shifted from smugness to happiness as he slowly walked out of the ring, the arena lights casting a sinister glow on his face. He finally got his best friend back, got his person back right where you belong, by his side, and made sure Jey was right there with you. Roman was sure that even if you didn’t get over this-which you would-he knew that you might have tried to beat his ass, but you wouldn’t let anyone else touch him no matter your anger. Paul brandished him by his side as he casted you one last smile before making his way up the ramp.

Jey was feeling that same happiness, despite the pain and exhaustion, despite all the shit that happened. Despite all the odds, despite Roman destroying everything in his path, Jey fulfilled his promise whether you liked it or not. He didn't let you let Roman destroy your soul.

And that's all Jey ever wanted for you.

[kabuki-writes]

A Reflection Of Venus

chapter: 1 chapter 2 | 3

pairing: emperor geta/emperor caracalla x acacius' daughter!reader

summary: For years Acacius was able to keep his precious and only daughter away from the Emperor's eyes. But after his latest victory, he couldn't evade the already inevitable.

warning(s): mention of alcohol consumption | swearing | sexual implications | semi-edited | english is not my first language, faults may occur | please let me know if i missed anything

Note: Reader is the daughter of General Acacius and his wife, which is not Lucilla in this fanfiction.

word count: 3.1k

General Acacius was a hero for the Roman Empire, a sun that was burning brighter with every new victory he won in a new war campaign ordered by Emperor Geta and his twin brother Emperor Caracalla. The reign of the twins was nothing compared to one of their deceased father Emperor Septimius Severus, who was once one of the closest friends and brother-in-arms of Acatius. While Severus fought wars mainly to protect the borders of the already massive Empire, his sons' hunger for expansion became clear from the very first day they inherited the title "Emperor". And general Acacius became their tool in this project. Nothing was too expensive, they backed him with legions, war-ships, the best equipment and supply, and the capable general became an unstoppable force, a soldier of the God Mars himself. But at what cost?

As the years went on, he'd rarely been home, always travelling with his marching soldiers and being on the front line of every battle he fought. And when he came back, he felt sick from all the pomp and gold the Emperor's threw at him, the victory processions through Rome, while the smell of blood still lingered in his nose and the cries of the women and children echoed in his mind. It was one of those days. The sun stood high over the wide street that lead to the Palatin, the sides filled with the cheering crowd - common people, soldiers, slaves, senators, merchants, they all celebrated his victory in a triumphant procession. His marching soldiers were led by Acacius chariot, clothed in the white armor of a victor. His face could've been one to be carved in marble, stoic and upright, facing the great Palatin, where the Emperors would await him.

Geta and Caracalla - the twin-sons of Septimius Severus, Emperors of Rome. They stoof there in golden Armor like sun gods with their golden crowns on top of their short gingerblonde hair. Their unusual pale skin was a testament to their wealth as they could afford to stay out of the sun, which burns especially hot on summer days like this one, and of course on the battlefields in Africa, where Acatius' men had to fight against the rebellious Nubians. They awaited their victor with proud smiles on their lips, while Acacius' procession ended at the footsteps of the Emperor's palace. He walked the marble steps towards them, his long cloak moved in tact with his walk. He didn't look forward to see the faces of Rome's tyrants again, but they hadno idea.

Instead, he greeted them as he was used to. His hand on his chest, speaking the words.

"I greet you, my Emperors. Nubia is no more. I present a new victory to you, to the realm and to the Roman people."

With a proud look on their faces and a wide smile, the twins stepped forward. Emperor Geta hold the laurel wreath of victory in his hands and places it on top of Acacius' greying hair.

"And Rome rewards it's heroes with gratitude and admiration. We bow to your victories, General Acacius."

With those words, he offered him to turn around and face the celebrating crowd. Geta and Caracalla took their places at his side, giving him a moment of spotlight, applauded by the people, while they did benefit from it as well. Acatius was their general, their armored knight. Every victory he presented was another triumph for their own reign and power. After the earned celebration in front of the common folk, the Emperors and Acacius retreated inside, where servants quickly served them wine for a toast.

"Another great victory, you never disappoint us, dear Acatius," Geta expressed and hold his glass up for a toast, his brother Caracalla following the gesture. "To the glory of the Roman Empire".

"To the glory of your reign", Acacius lied and took a sip from his glass, trying to numb himself a bit with the taste of the alcohol. How he hated conversations with both of them.

" But don't get too comfy here, my brother and i were already discussing another campaign soon. You'll get everything you need, just tell us how many soldiers and ships and it will be granted," Geta explained, which left a bitter taste in Acacius mouth. His jaw clenched for a moment, while he tried everything not to show his distaste about another war campaign.

"Please forgive me, my Emperor, but isn't the realm big enough already? Rome has already difficulties to feed the people. Further expansion would-"

"They can eat war", Emperor Caracalla threw in with an almost diabotical grin, while Acacius got a warning eye from Geta. It was clear that his words weren't the ones both wanted to hear right now.

"Don't worry about things like that, Acacius. You're a military general, your job is to win battles - nothing more. Do you understand?"

"I understand," he answered, even though he hated to hear that he was reduced to this. He'd experienced war and peace alike and therefore he knew about the dangers of continuing this madness. Moments like this really let him question if those maniacs were of the same blood as Septimius Severus.

"But you're right, you've earned yourself at least a bit of rest - one or two weeks. Don't worry, we've taken care about the wellbeing of your family. They got everything they needed and more in our attempt to show our gratitude for your service to the throne. Speaking of which.... we expect you to join us for a great feast tonight - here in the palace. A party to celebrate your victory, it is accompanied by a couple of fights in the arena tomorrow," Geta explained joyfully, while Acatius tried to keep his mask up.

"I am incredibly honored, but would prefer to spend time with family after being away for such a long time."

"The Emperors show you their gratitude and you're insulting us. We expect you to come and you will come", Caracalla hissed with a sudden shift of tone, his eyes staring at Acacius in clear anger, while his brother placed his hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. But his staring eyes were warning Acatius once again.

"Of course, we don't just invite you, but your whole family. Bring your wife and... you have a daughter, if i'm not mistaken? We haven't had the pleasure of getting to know her yet, since you never brought her to any festivities. I am sure she will be delighted, if you don't plan on hiding her again."

Acacius stood there in silence, a reaction that made Caracalla burst out into laughter as if he'd just heard the funniest joke from his brother. The respected general didn't even look at him, why should he. Standing here in front of them should've been an honor, yet it felt like a disgrace. They were nothing but spoiled kids with the power of an empire in their hands. And now they even forced him to reveal his dear daughter to them. Something he tried to avoid for too long, knowing fully well about the debauchery and excessiveness of Geta and Caracalla.

"We're waiting for an answer, Acacius?", Caracalla purred with a wide grin on his pale face, revealing his gold tooth.

"It will be an honor to be your guest... together with my daughter."

_____________________________________________

You watched the face of your father sunken away in his thoughts, as you made made your way to the palace in a palanquin carried by a couple of slaves and protected by soldiers. The city was painted in darkness which made the palace seem like a temple with all the lights that welcomed you. It was an exciting moment for an upper-class lady to be a guest at the palace, especially for you, a woman that usually stayed away from the most parties. Not because you wanted to, but because it was an order from your father. You obeyed, yet it bothered you, even more when you'd reached the age of a young woman - the age in which it was expected from you to find a proper husband.

"Why are you so worried, father?", you finally managed to get off your lips, pulling Acacius out of the battle he fought in his head. He couldn't just tell you that he despised all of this and especially the Emperors himself as he couldn't be sure if someone outside this palanquin could hear him. So he simply took your hand and placed a soft and caring kiss on the ring that had been a present for your last name day.

"I guess I'm rather tired than worried. The parties in the palace are always quite excessive, music, dances, feasts... i just came back from the desert and now i have to enjoy all those things", he sighed and looked at you. "And i don't want to stay too long, especially not till the orgy starts. The servants will come and bring us home before that." And even you knew he would rather go and murder Dyonisos himself than allowing his daughter to stay and witness this.

All those words and yet you knew it wasn't everything.

"I'm glad that you take me with you this time. I've only known the imperial palace from afar," you confessed, while you straightened the long, blue dress you wore. It was decorated with all sorts of silver embroidery and jewelry, encapturing the stars and moon. Your long hair was styled by your servant Yanna into a high braid and finalized with a silver diadem. For the first time you really got the chance to make yourself so presentable that you almost felt like a princess. In the end, you were about to meet the Emperors which made it important to look like the woman you were - the daughter of a general. And you also presented his household tonight, because your mother felt sick tonight. She often suffered from migraine, which kept her a prisoner for days sometimes.

"You really look beautiful", your father said to you, it was honest, but there was a hint of worry in his eyes, which you still couldn't grasp. But there was no chance to take this conversation further as the palanquin stopped. Acacius got out first to help you out. He knew the way as it wasn't the first time for him to attent an official ceremony or party here. Through a long corridor you reached a large room with with an open access to the garden terrace facing the beautiful gardens. It was packed with people from the Roman upper-class, wealthy merchants, politicians and military officers, who were accompanied by their wives, sons and daughters. While they chatted and feasted on the large selection of delicious looking food, a group of musicians played their melodies to which professional dancers moved their bodies.

All those private parties at the homes of your friends seemed to vanish straight from your mind, nothing could be compared to what you were seeing now. It nearly took your breath away, while two royals were watching you from the other side of the room.

_____________________________________________

Geta and Caracalla were sitting on a higher ground, which was highly decorated with two golden chaise longues, cushions and velvet drapes. They were accompanied by a selected group of slaves, women and men, who were assigned to bring them anything they wanted, to do anything they wanted.

While Geta was in in a conversation with one of the senators, which clearly bored him according to his facial expressions, it was Caracalla, who noticed the new guest first, while he fed his little monkey Dondus a grape.

"Such a shame that he hid his daughter for so long. She is a gorgeous looking bird, don't you think? ", he whispered to his brother with a mischievous grin, patting his arm so that he would turn his attention to Acacius and you. Geta's eyes quickly went to you, admiring the way your dress hugged the shape of your curves.

"The gods must've sent us Venus herself to honor us with her presence," Geta answered, while an unreadable smile played on his lips. „No wonder our dear General is so protective of her. Is she already promised to someone?“

„Why do you ask me!?“ Caracalla snapped back, as if his brother didn’t know that he had a lot of spies around the city, who delivered him the newest gossip from the streets of Rome. With an annoyed eye roll, he leaned forward, adjusting the golden laurel wreath on his head. „No, she is a blank parchment. Probably untouched too.“

Geta still watched you with an intense interest as if you were a rare diamond, he needed to claim. But he was not the only one in this room, because Caracalla stared at his brother, noticing the way he looked at you. There it was again, the old melody. Whenever he wanted something, Geta wanted it too. They already shared the title of Emperors, their wealth, their whores… It was already something that cooked in him for a long time. But now he had an eye on you and wasn't happy about the fact that Geta might try to get you too.

Before he could even bring this thought to an end, his twin brother Geta already stood up from his chaise lounge and made his way through the crowd, the direction was clear. Caracalla's nose twitched in a mixture of nervousness and anger, and he got up quickly as well, not as gracefully as he wanted to, but he didn’t care. He had to tame the inner urge to backstab his brother before he could even reach you.

_____________________________________________

You still stood at the side of your father sipping on your first goblet of fine wine, while your eyes went over all the different guests and the excessive decor. Your father was sunken in a conversation with another general, Marcus Galbanus, an old friend and brother-in-arms of Acacius. But their conversation quickly stopped as soon as the Emperors approached them. Both your father and Marcus Galbanus lowered their heads and greeted them according to the etiquette, while you curtsied deep. This was the very first time you got the chance to meet the Emperor's of Rome Caracalla and Geta. And given the importance of those two figures, you even felt a little nervous.

"We almost feared you wouldn't show up to your own party, Acacius. But we're happy you made your way here... we already heard that your dear wife lays sick. Please, send her our best wishes. Nonetheless we would be delighted if you could introduce us to your company tonight", Geta demanded in a playful tone, knowing how much Acacius had tried to delay this. Caracalla stood at his side, his staring blue eyes drilled themselves into your appearence. Even though he was a man that had tasted a lot of men and women, one even more sensual than the other, your whole appearence, your face, your lips, your smile, everything - you reached a sentience in his mind that could only be gifted by the gods. The mere thought of having you infected his brain like a curse.

You could sense the tension that raised in your father as if everything in him resisted the situation. Yet he placed his hand softly on your shoulder and did as they wished. "This is my daughter, y/n..."

"I'm honoured to meet the Emperors of Rome", you said in a soft voice, earning you an appreciating smile by Geta and an unreadable grin of Caracalla.

"Oh the pleasure is on our side, my dearest. How do you like this Ceremony in honor of your father's victories?", Geta asked. But before you could even answer, his brother added, while he took another sip of his wine "Your father is a Roman hero through and through, isn't it right Acacius?" His tone had something else in it, almost as if it was some kind of mistrust. But you needed to ignore the irritation you felt and simply nodded.

"It is breathtaking. I've never witnessed something like this and it makes me incredible proud to see the gratitute he earned himself through the love he has for Rome and its people," you answered, trying to remind the Emperor's of Acacius loyality, which was undoubtful.

"Then you'll enjoy the ceremony in the arena tomorrow as well, i'm sure. Please, we invite your father and you to be our guests."

"I don't think that such entertainment is suited for a young woman of her status," your father suddenly interfered in a calm yet set tone, only earning the laugh of Caracalla. "Let your daughter decide for herself, General."

The atmosphere shifted to an unspoken intensity. You could sense your father's worries and given all what you've heard from the colosseum, you didn't really think of it as something worth to witness. Seeing people die in such a terrible way only for the pleasures of the masses seemed like a farce. Acacius always called it the most needless form of brutality amongst humans, he despised this himself and therefore avoided going into the arena whenever he could. But you also read the eyes of Geta and his brother, who waited for your answer and would not accept a simple 'No'.

"It would be an honour," you answered, and Geta leaned forward a bit, which made your father's jaw clench in anger. Not because of your answer, he was aware that a choice was not existing, when facing an Emperor, but because the way the twins looked at you as if you were a price they could simply claim. But you were a smart girl and definitely not naive, so he fully relied on that.

"So this is a 'Yes'?", Geta asked again and you looked him straight in the eyes, not backing off. "Yes."

"Excellent!", Caracalla shouted and clapped into his hands. "We'll have a lot of fun tomorrow."

The corners of Geta's mouth twitched to a smile and he nodded in response to his twin. Yet he hid his displeasure of having him as a rival in this little game. It was clear that Caracalla had layed his eyes on you too, but he won't allow him to simply take and fuck you like you were a common whore. Maybe you could've potential for something more and strenghten his position as well as his popularity. Because both Emperors were still unmarried - and it was expected from them that this would change sooner or later.

[i-care-4u]

guess ✹ lewis hamilton

SOCIAL MEDIA AU

PAIR: LEWIS HAMILTON X JOURNALIST!READER

FACECLAIM: CATHY KELLEY [she/her]

REQUESTS ARE CLOSED | MASTERLIST

A/N: guess who has another sport obsession in the making (aka wrestling)! and i blame my friends and the roman reigns edits on tiktok (he’s literally so fine).

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f1news

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f1news After 9 years of covering Formula One news for Sky Sports, Lewis Hamilton’s girlfriend and journalist Y/n L/n is officially leaving her position. Now, she’s going from the pit lane to the ring as she’ll begin interviewing wrestlers in the WWE backstage on Monday nights. We wish her the best in WWE!

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inchidentleclerc THIS POST ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK

↳ tsunodas inchidentleclerc LITERALLY I GOT SCARED THAT LEWIS AND Y/N BROKE UP

piastrioperator y/n it’s time to start a podcast challenge 😈

hamillion time to tell people that i’m not available on mondays (i’ll be tuning in to monday night raw just for her)

↳ chicperez hamillion as you should! it’s actually very entertaining to watch, and it has just gotten better recently. in my opinion, raw is the better show than smackdown 🤭

lewishamilton via instagram stories

yourusername

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yourusername guess ???

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lewishamilton The grid misses you 🥲

↳ yourusername lewishamilton I’ll be back soon love ☺️🫶

georgerussell ARE WE GOING TO SEE YOU ON THE PADDOCK AGAIN???

↳ yourusername georgerussell 👀

rhearipley_wwe Wearing my colors 💜

↳ yourusername rhearipley_wwe Of course 🤭

↳ user1 yourusername you really got good taste in people

f1wagsources I’m living for Y/n’s WWE era

user2 monday night mother is IN

user3 the wwe community should be lucky to have you

wwe and yourusername

Liked by yourusername, rhearipley_wwe, archerofinfamy, and 302,820 others

wwe uceyjucey is trying to holler at yourusername’s beloved boyfriend, lewishamilton 🤣🤣🤣

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mmysterios wwe and formula one was not a collab i was expecting

reignsgold first rhea now lewis, y/n got some competition with jey 😭

lewisroscoe welcome back queen y/n 💖

user1 i’m so excited to see more of y/n and jey

crosscody so nice to see y/n back on my tv

↳ vettelsfave crosscody ahhhh i know i’m loving her character in wwe so far, but i’m definitely going to miss her interviewing for f1

user2 rip y/n’s sky sports era, you would’ve loved to interview your mans in his ferrari attire

↳ rllns user2 NAH THIS ONE BROKE ME

user3 i love how the f1 fans are flooding the comments, y/n’s influence

ripleyschick i need her to interview me

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[astroboots]

Punch-Out Love

Artwork by @guruan

FIGHT NIGHT

Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x female reader

Summary: You're lucky enough to score ring-side seats at a boxing match on Friday night. Getting the best view in the house of boxing champion: Miguel O'Hara.

Word count: 1,500

Next Chapter

Spiderverse Masterlist | Astroboot’s Masterlist 

You know fuck all about boxing.

About the only thing you know about the sport was from the glimpses you caught watching scratched up old recordings of Muhammed Ali fights on the boxy mini-tv of your old childhood friend's house.

It always seemed barbaric. The practice of watching two human beings beat the shit out of each other for spectator's entertainment. It seems like something that was better left in the Ancient Roman times. Have we all human beings as a society, really not come further some 2,000 years later?

Your bestie used to get mad at you for this. Constantly defending the sport from your criticism, because (according to him) it's not just about smashing each other's faces in. Supposedly, there's an art to the sport. Boxers are taught to respect their opponents and adhere to the principles of good sportsmanship. It takes great mental discipline, dedicated work and years of hard and punishing training to master boxing.

You never saw any of that in the matches he showed you. All you saw were two men needlessly being hurt, sustaining brain damage for rich people's enjoyment.

Then again, he was more than a little bit biased, considering it was his dream to go pro one day. Tall and gangly, with his scrawny antelope legs, thick-rimmed glasses and big-ass braces, he looked like he couldn't punch his way out of a paper bag, much less another person. You never understood how exactly he thought he was going to make it as a boxer.

But you never found it in you to burst his unrealistic bubble when he used to point at the screen excitedly, drawing your attention to Ali's footwork and the artistry in it. 

"It's like he's dancing," he used to say.

Except dancing is done with swelling music in the background. In dancing you often have a partner. It's an embrace. It's gentle and kind.

Boxing... was not that.

So you don't know how you managed to find yourself in the ringside seats of a local boxing match on a Friday evening, staring up at the boxing ring with the glaring ring lights shining into your eyes.

"Aren't these seats amazing?" Jess shouts excitedly over the familiar lyrics of ‘We Will Rock You' being belted out by Freddy Mercury on the loudspeaker.

You smile, and nod, because boxing-fan or not, she's right, these are some amazing seats. And considering you didn't have to pay a dime for them, personal aversions aside, you're never going to turn down free stuff.

Jess' husband tested positive for covid at the last minute, and you're the only one in your social circle that is anti-social and single enough to not have any plans on a Friday evening.

On the monitors above you, the menacing headshots of the two fighters swish into view.

"The first guy is an old reigning champ," she explains to you, as she leans in, shouting into your eardrums (and yet you can still barely make out what she's saying over the music). "The challenger is some new kid on the block. Has an amazing track record. Zero losses in the season. He's something else."

You look up at the gigantic screen, at the sharp cut cheeks, strong thick brows and the intense pitched brown eyes staring down at you.

Angry looking dude.

...Handsome too.

With a face like that, surely he could've gone into other careers. Calvin Klein model, movie star, or a news anchor. You wonder what makes a guy voluntarily have his face bashed in for money as a career.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a loud booming voice announces from the stage.

You jump in your seat from the suddenness, as you see a bald and overly formal dressed announcer in the middle of the ring. 

"Welcome to the electrifying boxing showdown of the century! Are you ready to witness some knockout action tonight?"

The crowd around you cheers with a pandemonium of shouting and whistling.

"Introducing our first fighter, a true hometown hero! With an impressive record of 20 wins, 15 by knockout, and only 2 losses, standing at 6'3 feet, and weighing in at 340 pounds of determination and strength, give it up for ‘the Knockout King’ Bobby Kane!"

You watch as the reigning champion walks down the tunnel to the midst of adoring cheers as he waves and gestures at the crowd like royalty.

Every inch the king that he is nicknamed, he jumps over the rope and stands tall and proud over the ring.

The man is huge, bulging with almost grotesque muscles. He's so large that you almost expect each of his steps to send a reverberation throughout the hall, as if this was Jurassic Park and he's a T-Rex.

"Now, entering the ring with the confidence of a warrior, fighting out of the red corner, with 15 wins, 10 by knockout, and no losses, standing at an astounding 6 feet 9 inches, and weighing in at 310 pounds of raw power, let's hear it for tonight's challenger, ‘Steel Jaw’ Miguel O'Hara!"

Wait what? You do a double take at the announcement. Six foot nine?!?! What kind of giant is that?

From the far corner of the hall, you see his silhouette emerge, and your eyes go wide at the sight of him. Tall doesn't even begin to describe him. 

There's a 200 year oak tree at Central Park, and with the shadow this man casts, you think their height must be nearly comparable. If you thought the Knockout King was tall, the "King" is practically tiny compared to this challenger.

You watch, as the man with cheeks so sharp they mind as well be blades (and god never has a nickname made more sense to you) as he strides towards the stage. He reaches the rope and barely even has to climb over it with how tall he is.

He's leaner than his predecessor. Every inch of him is cut muscles and tanned gorgeous skin as he stands in front of you. His presence is electric. The air crackles where he stands, towering over the stage.

You swear that his towering height blocks out the ring lights with it, casting the stage in the darkness of his tall shadow.

Somehow, he's even prettier in person compared to the still image of him blown up and plastered on the big screen. Soft brown curls and pouty lips. You don't understand in what world a man like that is a professional fighter.

From this distance, with the way that the light refracts from his irises, his eyes almost glow with a scarlet red that takes your breath away as you look up at him and meet his eyes.

If you didn't know better, you'd think he was staring at you.

The bell rings out, but he's not looking away. The intensity you find there is enough to make you swallow your tongue. Your face prickles with heat and for several long moments you forget to breathe, until the air seems to thin around you and your vision starts to swim.

Then he turns to face his opponent.

You're not quite sure where to look. There's so much happening at once. For his size, Miguel O'Hara is surprisingly deft on his feet. His footwork is somehow both unpredictable yet intentional all at once.

The King throws a strong punch, as he lunges forward, after his tall opponent. But O'Hara dodges them seemingly without effort. It's followed by punches so quick, the movements blur together.

Strike after strike. The King is giving it his all. But none of it properly connects. With every failed hit, you can see him growing increasingly more frustrated.

Your heart is in your lungs, and despite how close you are to the stage, you almost want to get up from your seat for a closer look.

Safe as you are behind the ropes, adrenaline rushes through your veins with a fury. You can't recall the last time you felt this ecstatic about... well, anything.

With each punch O’Hara dodges, you feel yourself lurch back in your seat, trying to dodge the punch with him.

It's titillating.

Exciting.

O'Hara's movements are precise and honed with intention despite the ferocity in his movements. Each one is measured and intricate and if you didn't know any better you'd almost call it graceful.

You think back to those moments in your childhood friend's home, and his excited words buzz in your ears now. For the first time ever you finally understand what he had meant.

It is like a dance.

Before you, O’Hara's eyes cross over in your direction and for a split of a second, you swear your eyes connect again. His gaze holds you there, pinned to your seat, and excitement shoots through the entirety of your spine until you feel lightheaded from the attention.

Then he finally steps forward, no longer evading.

It's brutal and efficient.

An uppercut that connects cleanly to his opponent's jaw.

Spit and blood flies out from the man's mouth, the flabby flesh of his cheek vibrating from the impact as he lands on the floor with an ear-shattering thud.

Then the guy is out.

Barely even eight minutes in. 

There's a stunned and shocked silence. The crowd seems both enthralled and disappointed at how fast it all went. On the ring floor, you can practically see the circle of cartoon birds flying above the defeated King's head.

You may not know anything about boxing, but you know that this man is not getting up anytime soon, no matter how far the referee counts.

Tearing your eyes away from the motionless body splayed out on the ground elevated above you, you can see the victor towering menacingly over the body.

But Miguel O'Hara isn't even looking at his defeated opponent

No, his eyes are staring straight into the sea of awestruck spectators. Except he’s not looking at them.

He's looking at you.

~ Next.

Author's note: What's that you say? CiCi wtf are you doing starting another series when you already got one going on? ... Idek man. But I hope you guys enjoy it, cause I had a blast writing it, smut will ensue in later chapters I promise!

Dedications and Credits: Buckle up it's gonna be a big one!

Firstly to @guruan when I say she's my muse THIS IS WHAT I MEAN! Look at that beautiful artwork. I am drooling into my panties. I am crying between my legs. I am so damn horny! I cannot thank this amazingly talented genius enough. Please please give this wonderful brilliant human your love by following her, and drop by her KO-FI SHOP cause the art this woman bless us with is UN-fucking-REAL

Then to @djarinsbeskar who put this idea into my head. In my mind she is the OG Boxer AU champion and mastermind. If you are in the mood for more boxing content, she has a wonderful, devastatingly sexy series Boxer!Din AU that is just woof woof bark bark.

[trippinsorrows]

with me + part six

authors note: i'm very sorry in advance for how this ends, it was just getting wayyyy too long, and there was no good place to slice it in half, so i cut it before shit unfolds, so yes please don't hate me!!!

pairing: roman reigns x black!reader

status: in progress // masterlist

warnings: fluff, language, suggestive dialogue, angst

song inspo: ‘with me’ by destiny’s child

words: 6.5k

taglist: @pixiedust4000 @southerngirl41 @yolobloggers @msbigredmachine @wanderingreigns

“Whoa.”

Mariah’s reaction is expected. Your living room, specifically the sofa, is occupied by several of Callie’s dolls. A tea party that you were so kindly invited to attend this morning. 

“Girl, you should see her playroom. Pretty soon the floor is going to be non-visible.” 

A small part of you regrets not trying to straighten up before Mariah came over, but this is also your literal best friend. You know she’s seen more than almost anyone else in your life, and she would never judge you, let alone over the state of your apartment when she has a child of her own. 

Mariah looks over at you with a raised brow. “He did all this?” You nod. “Why?”

“Because she’s his little girl and of course he’s going to spoil her. A quote.” You chuckle as you and Mariah decide to just sit at the kitchen island. It’s probably best to leave the dolls untouched as Callie’s likely to wake up from her nap wanting to play again. 

Mariah gives you a look. “You don’t find that weird?”

Confused, you ask, “what?”

Mariah shrugs and circles the top of her water bottle with her index finger. “I don’t know. He just found out about her, and now he’s buying her stuff? Seems like he’s trying to buy her love.”

“You don’t know Joe.” It’s an easy dismissal, because you do know him and know that’s the last thing on his mind. “That’s not him at all. He just wants to see her happy.”

Mariah looks unfazed and stands ten toes down, adding on, “then he should be here full time instead of randomly popping in.” You just look at her, slightly confused where this is coming from. “I mean, I’m happy she’s getting to know him, but this is all so messy, you know? He’s married. He has a wife, and he’s coming here seeing his secret child with his secret mistress.”

You can only look at her, stunned by her words, even if a small part of you knows there’s some element of truth. Joe swiftly dodged the only question you’ve asked about how and when he’s going to tell his wife about Callie. It was a valid question that deserved an answer.  But the things Mariah is saying, you can’t tell if it angers you because it’s not true or hurts you because it is. 

She seems to detect your conflicted emotions and reaches over with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be negative. I just remember how hard it was for you when you and Joe broke up the first time. I hated seeing you so hurt.”

“We’re not together, Mariah. We’re coparenting.” You hate how soft your voice is, giving away that her words now have your head spinning. 

“So you honestly mean to tell me that you have no feelings for him? None whatsoever.” You can’t give her an answer, or either refuse to. It’s another valid question but the answer isn’t as simple for you to express. You know you feel something for Joe, but that could just be because of the fact that you two share a child together. There has to be some type of emotional connection between any two people who create life. “Exactly. Just be careful. He broke your heart once before. Don’t let him do it again.”

Your feelings are so mixed, agreeing with certain aspects of what’s being said and disagreeing with others. Mariah has triggered some big thoughts, ones that you probably should sort through at some point. You’re just not eager for right now to be that moment.

“Enough about me, what’s been going on with you?”

You pray she knows you well enough to know that you’re desperate to change the subject. “What do you mean?”

“I feel like we haven’t spoken much lately, and I know that’s partially on me. It’s just been a lot on my end, I’m sorry.” 

She shrugs. “It’s cool.”

Something tells you that she’s just saying that, and there’s a level of bitterness towards you for the distance. But, you can’t allow yourself to be hurt by that, because it’s fair. Mariah has been too good of a friend to be ditched the minute your ex comes back around. 

‘How are things with Caleb? Are you guys getting along any better?” Caleb and Mariah have only been married for two years but have already hit a rough patch, enough where he’s temporarily moved out of the house. Last you spoke with her, they were supposed to meet up to discuss what they were going to do, especially for the sake of Miach.

“Did you see him at my place last time you were there?” Her response is all you need to know that that is still a sensitive spot for her as well. Understandably so, but her shut down is so cold and unlike the sweet, gentle friend you’ve always known her to be. You were always known as the outspoken, brutal friend, though it seems that maybe as the years go by, the roles are reversing. 

Unless there's something else at play.

—-------

Today is going to be a good day. 

For Callie at least. 

Your earlier conversation with Mariah, who seemed far too eager to leave when you mentioned Joe would be arriving in less than two hours, is still circulating in your head. You know she’s only trying to look out for you, and you’re very appreciative of that, but there was some undertone to the way she spoke to you that you can’t shake off. Like, it wasn’t coming just from a place of concern, but something else that didn’t seem as genuine.

“Mommy, why are we cleaning?”

Because mommy is too broke for a maid.

You instead settle on the answer, “because we want our home nice and clean, baby.”

“But, it is clean.” She’s not entirely wrong, it’s just every so often you like to deep clean, dusting, mopping, the extra shit that usually isn’t done with daily cleaning. 

Taking a break from wiping down your kitchen counters with some overpriced cleaner you picked up from Target, you see Callie is ready to be done, the dust rag you’d given here now sitting on the coffee table.

With a heavy sigh, you ask, “you wanna play, don’t you?” Her eyes widen and her head nods enthusiastically. A quick glance at the clock indicates that Joe should be knocking at your door any minute, so you try to buy some more time. “Alright, let mommy finish here, and I’ll come play with you.”

“Yay!”

Chuckling, you listen to the sound of her run in the direction of her playroom while you finish scrubbing the counters, even if they’re as clean as they can get. It’s most likely a result of all the overthinking you’ve done the past few hours. The older you get, the more you realize you’ve become that ‘i’m anxious, so let’s clean until we’re physically exhausted’ mom. Which, technically, isn’t a horrible thing, but it’s also probably not the best way to deal with your emotions.

Not that you’ve always been the best with that either.

And that’s when you hear it, the solid two knocks you’ve been waiting for all morning. 

Smiling, you call out for Callie who marches out seconds later with a doll in her hand. “You wanna see who’s at the door for mommy?” Callie looks rightfully confused. At the same time you taught her how to open, close, and lock the door because you never know what can happen, you stressed to her that she is to never open it without permission or unless during an emergency. So, you emphasize, “it’s okay.”

Shrugging, she skips, literally skips to the door. You chuckle. This kid has so much damn personality. Moving to the sink to rinse your hands, you move slowly, waiting for it.

A loud gasp. “Joe!”

You can mentally picture the absolute surprise and happiness splashed over her little face. Grabbing the towel to dry your hands, Joe walks in holding Callie who you haven’t seen look so happy since the last time Joe was in town. 

“Mommy, Joe’s here!” 

Kids announcing the most obvious things will always be hilarious. “He sure is.” Leaning against the counter, you focus on him. “Hey.” He looks good, but he always looks good. That was always the damn problem.

He takes in you for a second, eyes lingering longer than what’s probably necessary, “hey.” He easily returns his attention back to Callie who can’t seem to stop smiling, which makes you smile. You love seeing her so happy. "I missed you."

"I missed you too!" She glances over at you, partially contrite. “Mommy, I’m gonna play with Joe instead, okay?”

You pretend to be shocked, standing upright and crossing your arms and making a face before laughing, waving her off.

“That’s fine, baby, because I am going to take a nap.” It’s much needed. Your sleep has been kinda shitty lately, and you know yourself well enough to know that exhaustion makes you bitchy. And the last thing you want is to unintentionally take that bitchiness out on her. Even Joe. Walking up to them, you poke him in his stomach. Jesus, he’s ripped. “Help yourself to anything. Just make sure she doesn’t destroy my house, please. And make her clean.”

At that, her face sours, and Joe chuckles.

“You got it.”

Satisfied, you walk back into your room, deciding to close the door. Callie will absolutely welcome herself in if need be. Plopping down on the mattress, you stare up at the ceiling, taking in a deep breath, momentarily stopping yourself from closing your eyes. For a second, you forget that Callie is not alone and unattended, thus preventing you from sleeping.

Call it being an anxious, overprotective parent, you’ve never allowed yourself to nap when it’s just the two of you. Even when she’s asleep, and when you do, you set an alarm to wake you up every ten minutes, just to make sure she’s still knocked out. It makes taking time to rest pretty difficult, if not impossible, but it’s what makes you comfortable.

It’s an easy sacrifice to make for your child.

So having another adult around, her dad, of all people, is a nice feeling. You know she’s safe and watched over. And it’s what allows you to actually fall into a peaceful slumber. 

Just for a little bit.

—-------

It is, in fact, just for a little bit.

Because you’re awoken by your phone ringing, your mom on the other end wondering what time she can expect you and Callie to come over.

Shit. 

You completely forget that you’d agreed to bring Callie to see her as it’d been “too long," according to her. You partially agreed, realizing you haven’t visited your mom since the day everything went down, what with you reaching out to Joe again and that whole fiasco.

And that’s another thing.

Your mother has no idea he’s back in the picture.

Walking out of the room, you find them in the living room, of course, watching Toy Story 2. 

Callie’s eyes light up when she sees you, but that doesn’t pull her from her position, tucked right under Joe’s side on your sofa. If you had your phone, you’d try to snap a picture. 

“That wasn’t long,” he snickers, and you glare, stopping yourself from flipping him off.

You move over to the sofa, sitting on the armrest. “That’s cause my mom called and woke me up.”

“Grandma?”

Nodding, you explain to both Callie and Joe. “I forgot we were supposed to go visit her today.”

She moves up on her knees, asking, “can we go?” She looks over at Joe. “Joe can come with us!”

You consider her suggestion. Your mom didn’t even find out about Joe until you told her you were pregnant. You kept that part of your life a secret from her for good reasons. This doesn’t seem like the best way for her to find out, to drop it on her yet again. However, one look at Callie’s desperate expression, and you already know your answer.

“Of course,” you then add on, “if he wants to.” 

Callie, being Callie, answers for him. “He wants to!” She tugs on his sleeve, excitement bubbling. “You can meet my grandma!”

You glance over at him, “are you sure? I’m sorry, I know this was supposed to be one on one with her….”

He shakes his head, cutting you off. “If she wants to go, let’s go.”

You nod, praying this doesn’t end up being a bad idea.

—-------

“Mama!” You call out, watching Joe shut and lock the door behind him. Seeing that allows you to focus on where the hell your mother is. She usually meets you at the door when she knows you’re coming over. “Where is this woman?”

The car drive was pleasant enough, Callie talking almost the entire time, as expected. And Joe eating it up the whole time, also, as expected. 

You can see now he’s definitely going to be that dad. The dad who finds anything and everything his kid does to be adorable. You can’t wait for him to be on the receiving end of one of Callie’s temper tantrums and see how he handles it. 

“Grandma!” Callie suddenly calls, all the while keeping her hand in Joe’s. “I’m here!”

Finally, the sound of footsteps from upstairs as your mom comes down the stairs, home phone, yes, a home phone, held between her ear and shoulder. “I told her Bishop wasn’t gonna go for that, but you know how she is. Old fool.” It’s when she’s in the vicinity to see that it’s not just you and Callie, her eyes grow wide. “Cheryl, let me call you back.” 

Damn. 

You know that tone, that ‘let me talk to you’ tone. 

Thankfully, you get a brief save. The sight of your mom makes Callie drop Joe’s hand to sprint off to meet her on the steps. “Grandma!”

She leans down to pick up Callie, smothering her with kisses. “My favorite little lady.” 

Callie giggles as your mom descends from the steps, Callie on her hip, to approach you and Joe who’d, wisely, remained quiet up until this point. 

You watch your mom’s eyes land on him, but before she can say anything, Callie jumps in. 

“Grandma, this is Joe! He’s mommy’s friend and mine too!”

Fuck. Your mom’s eyes travel between him and Callie, once, twice, and on the third time, you know. You just know that she knows.

And that’s when you jump in, knowing you desperately need to speak with her. “Callie, why don’t you show Joe the play area?” 

Her eyes blaze with enthusiasm as your mom places her back on the ground. Callie’s little feet carry her back over to Joe who seems to understand you need to talk with your mother.

“Come on!” Taking his hand, she begins to direct him to the back of the house and through the sliding door. 

Your mom waits until she knows the two of you are alone to speak. “Girl, you done got my blood pressure all up.”

“Mama—”

“That’s Callie’s daddy, ain’t it?” She doesn’t even give you time to answer. “Don’t try to lie, either. She looks just like him.”

There’s no need in denying the obvious. “Yes.”

Her mouth drops open in rightful shock. “And just when did you plan to tell me he was back in the picture?” The questions keep coming, understandably so considering how you’ve just dropped this on her. “And why is she calling him by his first name?”

“Because she doesn't know,” you answer the second question, hating the disappointed look on her face. “We–he hasn’t told her yet.” 

“It just keeps getting worse.” She’s rubbing her temple and you just know she’s gonna need to take an Excedrin before the night is over. “Tell me everything. Now.”

And so, you do, starting with Callie’s initial question about her dad, to your phone call with Joe, his visit where he confirmed he had a daughter, all of it. And when you’re done, your mom is visibly shaken.

“Lord, he found out about her through social media?” You still feel badly about that, about a lot of it. “Well….does his wife know?”

You shake your head. “I don’t think so. We haven’t really talked about that yet.” Before your mom can protest, you add, “we will. I’ll make sure of it. He just wants to get to know her first. For himself.”

Your mom chuckles, obviously having studied the close interaction between the two of them in the few minutes she’s been privy to see them engage with one another. “seems like that’s already a done deal.” 

“Yeah,” you smile warmly. “He’s really good with her.”

And it’s the truth, Joe seems to be naturally good with a lot of things, but there’s something so impressive about his ability to interact and connect with Callie. It’s so natural. 

“So, are you two…..”

“No,” you shut that down immediately. “We’re just trying to navigate coparenting.”

Your mom nods but doesn’t say anything, and you know her well enough to know it’s because she doesn’t entirely believe you. But, she won’t push.

“Well.” She claps her hands together, nodding to the backdoor. “Let me go properly introduce myself, since you got me out here looking rude. Probably got that boy thinking I don’t like him.”

“I promise, he’s not like that.” You two start walking toward the backyard where you’re certain Callie is talking a hole in his head, describing the play area your mom put together just for her when she spends the night.

She places her hand on the sliding door but pauses to look at you, “let me just say this though, that is one fine young man. I see now why you had a hard time letting him go. The devil sure knows how to tempt people.”

“Mama!” You try to suppress your laughter as the two of you walk out, sure enough to find Callie on the swing, Joe pushing her as they share their own conversation. 

She walks up to him, wearing a warm smile, giving a wink to Callie. “I’m so sorry about that. My daughter just didn’t tell me you were gonna be here.” 

Joe, forever respectful, starts to indirectly apologize.  “I hope it's not a problem. If so, I can—”

She waves him off, “oh, hush.” She leans in to whisper, “you’re practically family.” He returns her smile as she introduces herself by name, he offers his, and your wonderful mother then informs, “well, this one is gonna help me tend to my garden, cause winter will be here before we know it.” She leans down and kisses the top of Callie’s head, as she’s stopped swinging and is instead sitting. Her eyes light up at the idea of gardening with your mom. The same way you used to garden with your grandma. A bit of a tradition being passed down. “And in the meantime, you two can go finish organizing the office.” 

Your eyes widen. No wonder she didn’t hear you all coming in right away. That room, once your bedroom, became your mom’s storage area and over the years has accumulated stuff on top of stuff. Nowhere near a hoarding level, but just a lot of things that she doesn’t want to part with but needs to organize. “Mama, that's not—”

“I don't want to hear no complaining. You really want me up on that ladder?” You roll your eyes, realizing she’s referring to the top of your old closet where she keeps the storage bins of memorabilia, mostly photos. “I'm not getting any younger. What if I fall? Then you gon feel bad.”

“You're so dramatic.” Your mom acts like she's 75 and at death's door sometimes. The woman is 52 and teaches a Zumba class at the rec center every Saturday. She could fall and jump right back up like nothing happened. 

She places her hand on Joe’s arm, smiling slyly. “You got this strong, handsome man to help you out.” One thing you’ve learned as you’ve gotten older is that your tendency to unintentionally flirt from time to time 100% came from your mother. Clearly. “Besides, if you do fall, you'll be fine. You got enough booty back there to cushion it.”

“Mama!” One glance at Joe, and you see him make a face that reads clearly 'she's not entirely wrong.’ At that, you shove him, not that it does anything. He's solid as a rock. “Fine, we'll organize your mess, but not for long. Joe is only in town until tomorrow night, and he did not come here to be a part of your cleaning crew.”

“I don’t mind,” Joe adds. Of course, he doesn't. He hasn’t seen it yet, and he’s a gentleman. “Whatever you need help with, I’ll do it.”

Your mom gives you another look and then looks at him. “I like you, Joseph.”

Callie lifts her head, adding, “I like him too!”

I like him too.

“Well, get to it. When we’re done, ya’ll can help me fix some dinner.” Her eyes then land on you. “Well, not you. You can make the lemonade or something.”

Joe coughs awkwardly, poorly hiding his laughter. “I’m getting really sick of ya’ll coming for me and my poor cooking skills.”' 

Your mom directs Callie to grab her caddy with their needed gardening supplies. “Baby, you are a lot of things, but a cook ain’t one of them.” She points at Joe, sharing, “remind me to tell you the story about how she almost burned down my house.”

“Okay, we’re gonna go now.” You grab Joe’s hand and lead him back into the house toward the stairs, which he motions for you to go up first, realizing after the fact that he probably did so to stare at your ass. 

This man….

Entering your former bedroom, you stretch your arm to show you just what you signed up for. He walks in, clearly surprised. “Okay.”

“Yup.” There’s items scattered all over, your mom clearly in the middle of trying to categorize the millions of family photos ya’ll have. “Still don’t mind?”

He shrugs forever unbothered. “There’s two of us. We’ll get it done.”

Sucking your teeth, you look around, trying to figure out where the hell to start. “Your optimism is annoying.”

Chuckling, his smartass remarks, “Glass half full, baby. Glass half full.”

“Yeah, yeah, well glass your ass over there and reach me the ladder. I need the box these pictures can go in from the top.” 

He follows where you’re pointing but also gestures to the closet. “That one?” Joe makes a sound and instead of following your directions, casually walks over to said closet, reaches up and grabs the box with all the ease of someone who’s 6’3. 

Smug expression on his face, he hands it to you as you glare. “Show off.”

Joe assesses you, eyes settling on your chest before redirecting them to your face. “Maybe I should have let you get up there. View and all.”

Holding back your smile is difficult, so you settle for biting on your bottom lip and bumping his side as you move past him. “Shut up.” You know his gaze is on you and that should bother you, his flirty comment should bother you, but it doesn’t.

It doesn’t at all.

—-------

“I still can’t believe you were a cheerleader.” 

There’s probably been a decent combination of conversation and organization in your time working together to ‘unmess’ your mom’s mess. That’s not entirely surprising though. Joe has always been immensely easy to talk to, to be around. And you couldn’t deny that you missed this kind of interaction with him, the most and maybe first since he’s re-entered your life. You wholly understand why he spends and devotes most of his time with Callie, but there’s a small part of you that’s missed this. 

Missed it being just the two of you. 

Chuckling, you comment, “you’re not the first. I was….different in high school and college than I am now.”

He’s intrigued, asking, “how?”

“Well, for one, I don’t party damn near every night anymore.” One thing you could never deny about your early days was that you always liked to have a good time, liked to make your expected appearances at whatever party of the week, or day, was happening. “Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t drink or smoke. That was never my thing. I just….I liked to have fun, probably too much fun more often than not.” You chuckle to yourself, grabbing a stack of photos to put in the container. “Now, I like to be in bed by 9:30, 10 at the latest.”

He smiles and looks over at the wall that still has many of your cheer accolades proudly displayed. “Obviously, you were pretty damn good.”

Shrugging, you push some of your hair behind your ear. Not that it does much. Your curls have always been voluminous and wild. “I was, but….it came at a cost to some extent. Cheer is insanely competitive, and I didn’t always handle that the best.”

Competitiveness was something you deeply struggled with when you were younger. Feeling like you had to be the best, not even better than anyone else per se, but the best that you could be. Always trying to prove that you were good enough.

Looking back now, you have a solid guess of where that came from and what drove it. 

Joe’s studying you, trying to gauge your comfort level with this conversation. “Did you like it?”

“I loved it,” you answer, honestly. “Until I didn’t. Shortly before college, I think, is when the love started to fade.”

“But you cheered in college too, didn’t you?”

You nod, explaining, “I got a scholarship for cheer, and I wasn’t about to put that stress on my mom to have her help me figure out how to pay for school when I had an easy ride.” Around that time is when your relationship with your mom started to strengthen, and the last thing you wanted to do was risk messing it back up by being selfish. You’d cheered damn near your whole life, what was another 4 years? 

“I like your mom,” he announces, almost suddenly. It’s unsurprising. Most people do. But, there is something that pleases you about her tentative approval of him and now his of her. 

“She’s really great. I don’t know what I would do without her, and Callie adores her.” You look over at him, playfully. “Not as much as she adores you, though.”

You can see the delight in his eyes. “Yeah?”

His disbelief surprises you. How can he not see how crazy Callie is over him? “Are you kidding me? That lil girl already doesn’t shut up, but she really doesn’t shut up about you. It’s Joe this, Joe that. The first thing she asks me when I pick her up from school is always if she can call you.” Deciding this is a perfect segue, you add on, carefully. “You know….you should tell her. I can promise you, she won’t be upset. She’s gonna be thrilled.”

She already loves you.

You don’t know if it’s too soon to say that, if it’s something you should even say vs let him hear from Callie herself. You just know that there’s probably very little he could do at this point to make Callie not love him. She’s hooked.

“Christmas,” he announces, adding, “I’ll tell her when I come back for Christmas.” 

This surprises you, as he hasn’t discussed his next visit up until this point. You also don’t feel the need to comment or counter his plan and timeline to tell Callie. You can’t think of a better Christmas gift for her. “You got the time off?”

He nods, providing specifics. “I’ll be here the day before Christmas Eve. Gotta fly back out on the 26th though.”

“Stay with us.” Where this comes from, you’re not sure, but there’s not a lot of regret once it's released. “I know you hate that damn hotel, and Callie would be thrilled to have you around 24/7.” Getting up off the floor, you carry the now filled container and move up the ladder you’d used a couple times because he’d been preoccupied organizing other areas. Sliding it back in the same spot, you descend down the steps only to feel strong hands grip your waist. 

Bringing you to the ground, he carefully turns you around, but that’s not what you’re focused on. What you’re focused on is how close he is to you, your chests nearly touching, his eyes burning into you. Instantly, your stomach is knotting. You know that look, know it all too well. 

“Joe….” Your voice is soft, much softer than it needs to be when trying to assert yourself. And you hate yourself for the tiny sigh that leaves your mouth when he brings his palm to your cheek. “We—we can’t—”

“I’m divorced.”

This man, so fine and kind, and damn near pressed against you is distracting, so much so that you’re briefly disconnected from what he’s just said. But, it’s forcing yourself to come back to reality that his words truly hit you. You’re not sure you could have ever guessed that statement would ever leave his mouth. 

Slightly in shock, staring at him with bewilderment, you stammer, “w–what?”

“Two months ago, Jadah and I filed for divorce. It was uncontested, and the state of Florida is one of the quickest when it comes to processing these things.” His other hand moves to your hip, holding you still, as if he knows you want to move away from him. “I got notice it was finalized a few days ago.”

You’re listening, you really are, but hearing is another story. This has to be some type of sick joke, some type of cruel prank ripped directly out the pages of a journal kept and maintained so long ago. Cause you’d absolutely written about this at one point, written about what it would be like if he were to leave his wife. 

You just never could have anticipated it would one day become a reality.

“I—I don’t understand.” Joe only found out about Callie less than a month ago, so there’s no way she was the reason for the split. Still, you have to ask. “Wh–why?”

Something flashes in his eyes. Hurt. “It was long overdue.” He doesn’t say anything beyond that, and while you expected more, you can also see there’s more to the story. More that he’s not saying, but it’s the brief glimpse of pain that prevents you from pushing. Whatever it is, it’s clearly difficult for him to discuss. 

“Oh.” It’s a stupid thing to say, but you’re truly in a state of shock and don’t know what else to say. 

The biggest and only issue that ever existed between yourself and Joe has always been his marriage, the fact that he was already taken. It was the only reason you ever broke it off with him, but now, he’s standing before you, telling you that this is no longer the case.

You’re all of the emotions: confused, nervous, happy, hopeful, and so many more that you can’t even label.

“I didn’t say anything at first, because meeting Callie was my priority. Establishing a relationship with her was a priority. And it still is, but…..” Your eyes shut as he drops his head in the crook of your neck. “I’ve missed you.” Your hands gradually lift to lay against his chest as he sighs into you, ‘I’ve missed everything about you.” Eyes remaining shut, your nails claw gently against him as he moves his mouth over your neck. “The way you smile, the way you laugh.” His hand on your back slowly inches downward. “The way you taste.” Your breath catches as his teeth graze your collarbone. “The way you feel when I’m inside you.”

“Joe,” you breathe, the air suddenly thick, your throat tight. Breathing is incredibly arduous in this moment. “I—”

“Mommy! Joe!”

Joe’s suddenly across the damn room, it seems like, as Callie enters at both the perfect and worst time with a smile, completely oblivious to what she’s just interrupted. “Grandma said come eat!”

Frowning, you glance at the clock and realize it’s most definitely dinner time and that your mom had most likely just had Callie help her prepare the meal instead of asking you two to help.

Huh.

She moves across the room, tackling Joe from the side and craning up her head as she excitedly asks, “Wanna see what I made? Grandma helped me!”

Leaning down to pick her up, he answers, “of course, I wanna see.” He begins to walk out the door as Callie calls out for you to follow behind.

And you will. 

You just need a moment.

Because what the hell just happened?

—-------

I’m divorced.

It keeps playing in your head, on a vicious repeating cycle, like that annoying song the radio plays every 15 minutes, forcing it down your throat.

For almost the entire time you were together, you infrequently allowed yourself to dream about what your life would be like if the circumstances were different, if he wasn’t already taken. If he wasn’t already married. And each time only left you feeling worse than before, because it was stupid. You were three years deep into the situationship; if he hadn’t left his wife by then, he wasn’t leaving her period.

It was a harsh pill that took you forever to swallow.

And even then, you knew that you could never be happy. Not with the knowledge that he’d left his wife for you. It may be bliss initially, but the guilt would have eaten you up and ruined things regardless.

So accepting and telling yourself that it would never work out long-term was what kept your head above water, especially in the two months after you broke things off. And once you learned you were pregnant with Callie, there was a new kind of stress, a new kind of distraction.

Not that it made you forget about him. Hardly.

Every check up, every milestone, every kick, your mind would wander to him. Wander to a fantasy world where you imagined he was with you every step of the way, the two of you preparing together for the arrival of your first child.

Even as the years went on and Callie got older, you still would find yourself from time to time imagining how different things would be if he was around.

Well, now he is. He’s not only around, but he’s going to be actively involved in Callie’s life for the rest of her life.

And he’s now single.

All of this makes for one fucked up emotional rollercoaster ride.

Dinner is an experience, only for you, maybe Joe to some extent. He’s always had a tendency to compartmentalize emotions though, unlike yourself. Granted, if it was a struggle for him, he did a damn good job not showing it. It also probably helped a ton that Callie talked a hole in his and your mom’s head.

You knew your mom could see something was up with you but graciously opted to not ask you any questions. You wouldn’t have any answers to give her anyway. 

And you indicated as much when you were back at your apartment, and Callie in her room gathering her favorite pajamas for bed. 

“I just need time to think.” 

It’s all you can offer him, because it’s the truth. There’s so much more to consider than you could have imagined, and it’s really hard to contemplate when you still have Mariah’s voice oscillating in the back of your mind, your insecurities, and even your mom. 

So many differing perspectives, it’s hard to focus and hear your own.

Thankfully, he accepts that answer, and you accept that you’re running out of different ways to escape confronting your own emotions. 

Maybe.

Because this day has already been exceedingly long, and you’re more emotionally exhausted than anything. So when Callie comes to you complaining of a tummy ache, you administer her Children’s Tylenol, lay with her until she falls asleep, and take advantage of this rare opportunity to turn your brain off and just rest.

The hard shit could wait.

—-------

“Mommy!”

There's a certain tone every person has that's reserved for emergencies, saved for moments when something is wrong. Very, very wrong.

This is one of those moments.

You nearly trip with how quickly you jump out the bed and sprint down the hall to Callie’s room. Hitting the light switch, your stomach drops when you see her.

On her side, in a fetal position, crying profusely. 

Rushing over to her, you see too that she's pale and a hand to her forehead reveals she's burning up. Sheer panic climbs up your body, settling into your stomach and the back of your throat. Still, you do your best to not show her your fear.

“Baby, is it your tummy?” You take a hand to feel her stomach, but she screams out in pain, making you jump from her reaction.

“Mommy, it hurts,” she sobs, and you're instantly moving the blankets off her, already knowing what you need to do. 

Hand on her forehead, you assure, “I’lll be right back, okay?”

You rush back into your room, sliding on the first pair of shoes that you come across. You grab your phone off the nightstand and throw it in your purse, all in under a minute, still too long. And as soon as you're back in her room, you waste no time in lifting her into your arms. 

She winces, so you reassure, “come on, baby. It's okay, you're gonna be okay.”

It's what you're telling yourself, the only thing keeping you from panicking. Unsure and uncaring at this moment if you lock the front door behind you, you carry her down the steps and into the dark of night, carefully but quickly buckling her into her carseat.

Hating to see her continue to cry, to be in pain, you kiss her forehead, “I’m gonna get you some help, okay? We're going to the hospital.”

She can only nod, and your eyes water. Your forever talkative child is rendered speechless by her pain. It crushes you.

Hopping into the driver's seat, you grab your phone, trembling fingers locating the address of the hospital. You hit share and send it to Joe before pressing the call button and tossing your phone into the passenger seat to zoom out of the parking lot.

Your phone is connected to your vehicle, ringing three times before he picks up, voice heavy with sleep. “Hey.”

“I need you to meet me at the hospital. I already sent you the address.” You do your best to remain calm and collected, to not scare Callie more than she's already scared. Even if you’re fucking terrified. “Something is wrong with Calista.”

[caramelcleopatraa]

First Appointment (Suit & Tie Revised)

Word Count: 1.9k

x: this fic idea won in the polls :) this series was inspired by kayjayxchar on wattpad ( she's A1 ) and then while writing, I decided to make this into sort of a series. no smut in this part ( I know I know, its such a tragedy! ) but don't underestimate what I got in the works :p not proofread... yet

xx: hello :) new caramel typing here. I wanted to revisit this series and fix it up now since I've written more work since I started this. Now enjoy the New and Revised SUIT & TIE <3

Content: Mafia!Roman Reigns x Designer!Reader, fluff, suggestive themes ( gets a lil steamy ;) ) 18+ Minors Do Not Interact!!

Your fingers type away at your computer, responding to emails from your clients. Your employees are setting up the shop, quickly preparing for another busy day. You were one of the top rated designers in the state of Florida. You’ve been able to travel around the country teaching classes, working your magic for top notch celebrities, and make public appearances. To cut it short, you were living your best life, truly. You got to do what you were passionate about and go against the standard of your families’ traditions and values. And to your surprise, they still supported you. You were proud of yourself that you are successful as you are. There was too much work that you have done to downplay your status, work ethic, and talent.

The chime of your door occupies your attention as a group of people walk in before opening time.

“Wassup biiiiiittch!” One of your closest friends, Trinity, was the first to make herself known. She throws herself on you, and you welcome her sudden embrace. She often visited you at your shop to check on you in her free time, and you always welcomed her company, especially on busy days. Today however, was one of those days where she was coming to you as a client. Because she was your friend and today was one of your busiest days, you told her to come an hour and a half early before you opened. That gave you plenty of time to fit your friends, clean up, and open on time. You scan the group that entered through the door with her. You saw Trinity, her husband Jimmy, his twin Jey and his wife Talia. Your eyes shifted to the larger man that stood behind them, that was accompanied by a shorter, voluptuous woman. It was someone you knew too well. Anyone that lived in Florida had to know his name. Roman Reigns. standing next to him, was what looked like a model. She looked too familiar, and you swore you've seen her somewhere, but you couldn't call it at the moment. The group of six admired your shop, casually walking around and scouting different designs that were displayed on the walls. 

Men’s Side

Women’s Side 

“No matter how many times I come in here, I'm always shocked. Is this new?” Jey says, pointing to the gray suits on your model displays. You knew he would gravitate to those pieces as soon as you came up with the idea a month ago. He always liked black and gray when it came to suits. “Yeah, new in stock. Ya like it?” You sing shakily as Trinity rocked you to death. “Can I take this off ya hands?” “You can after i fit you” You chuckled at his eagerness.

“Anyways..” Talia says, pushing her way through Jimmy and Jey. “This is Roman. I told him that I know a really good designer that can whip up an amazing suit. So he’s here to get fitted as well as the rest of us.” Talia explains to you, looking up in his direction to find him already staring at you. You notice his chocolate brown eyes and brown skin that complimented each other. You try your best to not let that distract you as you reach your hand towards him. You didn’t think he would shake your hand at all. Cold and Dismissive. The two words that would always get thrown around when Roman's name was mentioned.

But he subverted your expectations. You contentedly grinned when his warm hand engulfed yours. “Nice to meet you, beautiful” “Nice to meet you too, handsome.” His voice was smooth and calming. On top of his charming attitude. The perfect voice to coerce someone into doing something illegal. ‘oh my god he’s fine... how am i supposed to stay professional around this man...’

Still, your poker face stayed true as you continued to engage with your client. His partner stayed close to him, latched on at the arm. Almost child like. She pulled on his arm to get his attention, but he simply dismissed her by saying, “Wait over there for me sweets”, and she happily obliged. 

“So how does this whole thing work?” He says, tugging at his black tee. “You’ve never gotten fitted here before and my place runs a little differently than most. We have our scheduled appointments set up so that we can fit our clients, try on potential outfits for you, and send you home with them hours later. There’s a huge inventory that I have attached to this store so as soon as I get done recording your requests, we can get your order started as soon as possible. Any questions?”

Roman smiles smugly and looks at Talia. “She’s good.” Talia retaliates with “I told you so.” You smiled at their comments. To you, it didn’t seem like much. You were simply explaining how your company works so that your client has a basic rundown of how things work. Trinity nudged your shoulder as soon as she noticed your flustered state. You covered your face and did a quick spin, a little habit that formed when you get flustered. The group laughed at your small action. You snapped back into business mode and called your assistant to help you distribute the party of five.

“Aahkilah, can you help me with this party of five?”

 “Coming!” She galloped out to the main area with a work outfit that was damn near cutting dress code, but you didn’t have time to deal with that shit right now. “You can take the couples since they have been fitted before. Be flexible enough to make changes on the spot if our presets don’t fit like they’re supposed to. I’ll take Roman and do the whole process since he’ll be new information in the system.” She was fairly new, and you didn’t trust her just yet with doing an entire fitting appointment on a new client. Plus, you could tell everything that you were saying was going over her head as she basically eye-fucked Roman. Absolutely no work would be done. “But that’s not fairrrruuh! why can’t I take him?” she says, almost mimicking a complaining child. Your eyes close slowly as you sigh and respond, “Because you’re not ready to give a full fitting appointment yet.” 

You wanted to put a nail in this conversation so you could do your job. But, this woman had a damn mission. “You just wanna get him in your private fitting room and fuck him!! You’re not slic-"

“He came here for a fitting! A fitting done by me girl! Please don’t make me have to deal with a child right now.” You were starting to get loud, so you didn’t go back and forth with her like you usually would to whip that bitch into shape. The twins were barely succeeding at hiding their laughter as well as Talia. Roman and Trinity wore smirks on their faces as you reprimanded Aahkilah. She finally buckled down and made sure that the room was ready for the couples. You called in another employee, Gio, to help you with your workload online while you fit your client.

“Oh my god who is that-“ You hit her and stop her sentence and she looks at you like you're crazy. “What!? He’s fine as fuck!” You mentally facepalm as she tries to whisper to you, that ends up more like a whisper scream. “Mhm” You said, as you went behind your desk and pulled up some work for her to do. Sadly, you couldn't stop her when she got to talking. “Oh don’t tell me you don’t think he’s fine! isn’t he right up your alley? Tall? muscular? deep voice? beard? The whole nine?” You took pride in the fact that you took time to know your employees on a personal level and vice versa. You did not think she was going to air out all of the information you told her however. You gave Gio a look that screamed ‘shut the FUCK up’ and she responded to your look by playfully rolling her eyes. You turn the computer towards her. “You’re here to get a bag, not play matchmaker” She groans in response and says “Whatever.” to your dismissive comment. ‘she did not have to embarrass me like that. OMG WHAAT THE FU-‘

“The whole nine huh?” You hear a deep voice mirror your employee’s statement. You turn around to face Roman, the corner of his lips still curled into that mind melting smirk again. He motioned up and down his body, trying to fluster you. And it worked, as your eyes drift over his muscular body. “Little ole me?” ‘LITTLE?’ 

“Little?” Your face contorted into a confused expression, that earns a laugh out of the tall samoan. He starts to walk towards you, decreasing the amount of space between you too. Your momma ain’t raise no bitch so you stood your ground. Well, you tried. You could clearly distinguish the height difference between you and him, and your head raised as your eyes met his. Your hand rested on your hip and your head tilted, slightly sizing him up. “Sir, I will let you know that this is a professional business.” You said, ending off your sentence with an eyebrow raise. Just as you expected, he challenged you back, “Well I'm not invading your personal space, am I?” He said, letting his eyes drift over your body. Anyone in the room would have felt the tension and both of you were desperately waiting on someone to make a move. “Nah, i just don't want a wannabe gangsta playboy fucking up my reputation.” His eyes fluttered closed as he laughed at your statement. You had amused him and peaked his interest. He closed the gap between you two. His breath ghosted over your lips as he said, “So you must know i’m good at fucking something else up, huh?” His eyes glazed over your soft lips, coated with lip gloss. As much as your mind told yourself you had a job to do, his words you had you distracted. It was honestly embarrassing how quick he got you off course. But you wanted to entertain this a little bit. You took a moment to gather yourself before prompting another response. ”Well I wouldn't know cause it’s just rumors.” You shrugged your shoulders looking off to the side. 

“You know how those be.”

“Mhm” He licked his lips. From how close you guys were, you were surprised that his tongue didn't make contact with your bottom lip. “What they been saying about me ma?”

“That apparently you’re good in bed” You raised your pointer and middle fingers bent to imitate quotation marks.

“Mhm, keep going”

“Boy ion know, I really don't be concerned with you.” Your hand returned to your hip. Your attitude started to shine through. 

“Maybe it’s because I haven't taken care of you yet sweetheart” He leans down to whisper the sentence in your ear. You feel his lips lightly touch your ear and your entire body froze. 

You huffed, and said “You say that like you're so sure of yourself.” You challenged his boldness, but nothing could prepare you for what he said to you next.

“Maybe when we hit this fitting room, I can show you how sure I am”

🏷️ tags :) @hunnidmilly @reignsboy19 @2-muchsauce

@theninthwonder @harmshake @alichesmi @thesamoanqueen

@alyyaanna @empressdede @badbitchcentralinc @christinabae

@fame-ass-ers @southerngirl41 @cyberdejos2 @murrylove

@sassginaswanmills @pixiedust4000

@shes2real @pittieprincess22 @wrestlingprincess80

@msbigredmachine @sayyestoheav3nn @trippinsorrows @mzv11

@saintmagx @jstarr86 @pr3ttiesz @trentybenty @romansthrone

@scarlettnoir01 @tshepisho @rose-bliss @yana3sworld

@queeny23 @bebesobrielo @heauxvibez @amandairene88

@potatosackk

[juceynightmare]

dating 101 (18+) - cody rhodes x reader

"there is one pain, i often feel, which you will never know. it is often caused by the absence of you."

my masterlist

cody rhodes masterlist

pairing(s): cody rhodes x reader, roman reigns x reader

genre(s): college!au, 18+ nsfw, slow burn, fluff, angst, pining

summary: in which y/n and cody, acquaintances in high school turned dorm neighbors, are your average college duo. the two are polar opposites: cody being known as a "great fuck” and wild party-goer and y/n being a reserved girl who had never even kissed a single person. so, when y/n develops a crush on a guy in her class, she turns to her best friend cody to ask for advice on how to date.

character playlists

ꕥ - indicates spicy moments

ღ - indicates smut

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6 - ꕥ

Part 7 - ꕥ

Part 8 - ღ

Part 9

Part 10 - ꕥ

Part 11 - ღ

Part 12 - ღ

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15 - ꕥ

Part 16 - ღ

Part 17

Part 18

Part 19

Part 20

Part 21 - ꕥ

Part 22 - ღ

Part 23

Part 24

Part 25

Part 26

Part 27

Part 28

[joesanrio]

"Best friends" | R.R

Summary: You guys were just college best friends... who hooked up, but it wasn't supposed to lead to this.

Pairings: Roman Reigns {Joe Anoa'i} x fem!reader || non-established relationship

Warnings: pregnant!reader, teasing, some tension, loverboy!joe, y'all it's just fluff.

Word Count: 1275

Ratings: 16+ | Fluff

A/N: something quick and simple to feed y’all <3

——————————————

“Oh my gosh.” You groaned out as you finally sat down for the first time today, you’ve been busy cleaning as you couldn’t stand a messy house. You’ve been cleaning since 9 o’clock in the morning, every little cranny in the house was no longer untouched by you. Cleaning used to be therapeutic for you, but the extra weight and tension makes it more of a dreaded task than a fun activity.

The music blasting through the home, beginning to become bothersome as you lay your head back against the top of your cushioned couch. Eyes closing just to rest in the inevitable darkness, reminding you that a good nap could be snuck in before Joe gets here.

“I need a bath or something.” You mumble out as your body feels sticky and hot, preparing to get up from your comfy seat. One. Two. Three. You counted before boosting out of your seat and practically waddling over to your speaker to cut it off, a small huff leaving your plumped lips in exhaust.

---

The warm water surrounding your body and loosening your tight muscles, the delicate scent of vanilla and lavender filling your nose sweetly. The bubbles resting on the still water up to your collar bones, hands placed on the side of the tub.

Pure relaxation is what you would consider this situation which was well needed. Face mask on, eyes closed, head tilted back as you almost fall asleep.

Remembering the task at hand, the relaxing bath now becoming an “everything” shower as you realized that you’re going to have to stand to get the job done. Not bothered as the hot water runs down your soapy body, throat humming a familiar tune as the sounds of water create the background.

Finishing up, you step out into the foggy bathroom, towel quickly wrapping around your body as you make your way to the sink/vanity. Not paying any mind to the fogged mirror, the body lotions and oils placed in front of you as you begin to lather up. Getting dressed in your (his) T-shirt and some comfy bottoms, after doing some finishing touches of your after-shower routine,

Leaving the hot and humid bathroom to head into the cooled bedroom making you regret turning down the thermostat earlier. Quickly dumping the dirty clothes into the laundry hamper and getting into the warm, soft sheets of your comforter.

Your phone notifications are spamming at the perfect time, already knowing who it is. Joesph. Your high school best friend turned best friend with benefits turned baby daddy. Unintentionally smiling as you take your phone off the charger immediately to answer him.

I got the food so u better be hungry

I’m almost there

Give me like 10 mins

Actually 15 bcs I gotta stop for gas

Put something cute on for me

Read 6:49pm

Aww so sweet

I always look cute

Read 6:52pm

“I hope he got McDonalds… or-“cutting your speech off as you think about all the different food options he could’ve got or that you would have loved to eat. Laying back against the big reading pillow, playing on your phone as you wait impatiently. Body now super pumped for his visit, the baby now beginning to move around as if they knew who was about to show up.

Smiling as you caress over the huge bump, feeling your baby pressing against your soft hand. “I know, he’s almost here. Just a few more minutes.” You speak sweetly as the baby begins to kick against the side, as uncomfortable as it is, you seem to be in a trance of complete admiration. One thing Joe could always do was get the baby excited. It’s like as soon as they heard his voice or sensed that he was near they went ballistic.

---

The doorbell ringing causing you to perk up excitedly, you don’t know why he was ringing the doorbell considering he has a key so his hands must be full. “Coming.” You call out as you quickly slip your feet into your slippers and head to the front door, “Any day now baby.” He calls from the other side jokingly as you open the door for him, lips falling into a pout as he chuckles.

“I wasn’t that slow.” Eyes playfully rolling at the man walking behind you with the bags of food, going to grab one to help before he pulls away. “You’re already carrying a lot.” His head tilting down at your belly, a small smile forming on your lips.

Your gaze leaving Joe’s eyes to observe his outfit (and body), the grey sweats fitting loosely over his thick thighs and white t-shirt tight on his pecs, muscles bulging as he holds the food and his long fingers wrapping around the large drink.

“Whatcha thinkin about?” His deep voice taking you out from your trance, shaking your head embarrassingly as you just got caught. Lips forming in a smirk as he knows you were checking him out. Avoiding his question, you go to look inside the bag before he pulls away from you.

“Answer me.” He says as he places the food down onto the table but blocking the food. “The food. Now please move.” A rough huff leaving your mouth as you cross your arms at the man, he rolls his eyes before scooting to the side.

“That’s not how you say thank you.” He mumbles before taking a bite of a fry, you look over at him before puckering out your lips teasingly. His eyebrows perking up excitedly as he tries to go in for a kiss, “Thank you so much!” you giggle as you quickly pull away from him causing his lips to form an annoyed pout. “Whatever.” He pokes your side gently.

The room is now quiet as you guys sit down with the delicious food and eat. Joe putting on a random movie for background noise, knowing how you feel about prolonged silences. “Did you hear about Chris and Aaliyah?” Your body perking up as you remember the small drama you found out yesterday regarding some ex-college friends,

Joe’s eyebrows immediately scrunching in confusion. “No what?” wiping his thick fingers with the small napkin, making you lose your train of thought, “Oh my gosh! Really!” You say already knowing the answer but adding you your dramatics.

Joe smiling at your excitement to tell him, reminding him of the past times when you guys would sit in each other’s dorms, and you would go on a whole rant about little things you heard throughout the day. He missed it, it was one of his favorite things, still is. He couldn’t imagine someone else being able to hear you speak with such passion and excitement over other people’s lives. It was so cute to him, even though he didn’t know half the people you were talking about.

“Don’t be messy, you’re too pretty for that.” Or “Why do you care?” would become his go-to every time you had those rants, but he knew you just wanted to entertain him and yourself. Don’t get him started on your “Guess what’s” every time you would see him, the cutest thing he ever encountered in high school. He misses it and doesn’t want to let it go for someone else to take.

Snapping out of his thoughts when he notices your eyes of concern, “You’re not listening?” you ask as your lips fall into a thin line of embarrassment. “No- no I was.” He reassures as he fixes his posture, “You weren’t but that’s okay. It honestly was boring.” You giggle as you go back to eating your food.

[kyleoreillylover]

here's a lil sneak peak of my wip, with my mood board for it. hope you guys enjoy! can you guess the plot in the comments?

tag list: @venusesworld

ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴜʀᴛ ɪɴ ʜɪꜱ ᴇʏᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴡ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ɪɴ ʜɪꜱ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ, ʜɪꜱ ᴊᴀᴡ ᴛɪɢʜᴛ. ʜᴇ ᴍᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ, ɢʟᴀʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴ ɪɴᴛᴇɴꜱɪᴛʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴋɪɴ ʙᴜʀɴ. "ɪ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɴ ɪ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ. ɪ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪʙᴀʟ ᴄʜɪᴇꜰ. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ, ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ᴍᴇ."

ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʜᴜᴄᴋʟᴇᴅ ᴅᴀʀᴋʟʏ, ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇʏᴇꜱ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴɢ ʜɪꜱ. "ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ." ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ʙɪᴛᴛᴇʀ ʟᴀᴜɢʜ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴀꜱᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ʀᴇɢʀᴇᴛ ʟɪɴɢᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴏɴɢᴜᴇ. "ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ᴍᴇ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪ'ᴍ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ʙʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴇꜱᴛʀᴏʏ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴡᴇ ʙᴜɪʟᴛ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ."

ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴄᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴄᴇ ꜱᴜꜰꜰᴏᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴜᴅ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ. ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇʟꜱᴇ ꜰᴀᴅᴇᴅ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ᴀꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇʏᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴏʟᴅ ꜱᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴡᴀʀᴍᴛʜ.

ɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴅ, ᴜɴʀᴇᴄᴏɢɴɪᴢᴀʙʟᴇ, ꜰɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴅɪꜱᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴘᴏꜱꜱɪʙʟᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴡᴏ ᴏꜰ ʏᴏᴜ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɪᴛᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴏɴꜱᴇ, ꜰᴏʀ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ꜱɪɢɴ ʜᴇ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴏᴏᴅ, ꜱᴛᴀʀᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ʜɪꜱ ꜱᴏᴜʟ, ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ɢʟɪᴍᴘꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴅ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ.

ɪᴛ ꜰᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀɴ ᴇᴛᴇʀɴɪᴛʏ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ʜᴇ ꜱᴘᴏᴋᴇ ᴜᴘ, ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛʜʀᴏᴀᴛ ᴀꜱ ʜᴇ ʟᴇᴀɴᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ, ʜɪꜱ ʟɪᴘꜱ ʜᴏᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇᴀʀ, ʜɪꜱ ꜱᴄᴏᴡʟɪɴɢ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ ᴍᴇʀᴇ ɪɴᴄʜᴇꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱ.

"ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴡɪʟʟ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴍɪꜱᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴍʏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡᴇᴀᴋɴᴇꜱꜱ." ʜɪꜱ ʟɪᴘꜱ ʙʀᴜꜱʜᴇᴅ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇᴀʀ ᴀꜱ ʜɪꜱ ɢʀᴏᴡʟ ᴠɪʙʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴋɪɴ. "ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴅᴇꜱᴛʀᴏʏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ. ɪ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴄʟᴏᴜᴅ ᴍʏ ᴊᴜᴅɢᴍᴇɴᴛ, ᴜɴʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ, ʟᴇᴛ ɪᴛ ᴅᴇꜱᴛʀᴏʏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ'ᴠᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋᴇᴅ ꜱᴏ ʜᴀʀᴅ ꜰᴏʀ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴏᴠᴇʀ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ᴍᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ꜱᴀᴠɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ."

ʀᴏᴍᴀɴ ᴘᴜʟʟᴇᴅ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴡᴏʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴀᴡ ᴀ ꜰʟɪᴄᴋᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴀᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ ɪɴ ʜɪꜱ ᴇʏᴇꜱ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ Qᴜɪᴄᴋʟʏ ʀᴇᴘʟᴀᴄᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴇᴇʟʏ ʀᴇꜱᴏʟᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ʜɪᴍ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴇᴄᴛ.

ʏᴏᴜ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ. ꜱᴀᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ. ʀᴇɢʀᴇᴛ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ʜɪᴍ, ᴀʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴇʟᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴜʀᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ɪɴꜰʟɪᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴜʀᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴅ ᴘᴜꜱʜᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ, ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴜʀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ʜɪᴍ.

ʏᴏᴜ ɢʟᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ʜɪᴍ, ᴘᴜꜱʜɪɴɢ ʜɪᴍ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɢʜᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʟᴜʙ ꜰʟᴀꜱʜɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴘᴀᴛᴛᴇʀɴꜱ ᴀʟʟ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴋɪɴ ɢʟᴏᴡ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴɢᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇʏᴇꜱ ɪʀɪᴅᴇꜱᴄᴇɴᴛ. "ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴ ᴡʜᴏ ɴᴇᴇᴅꜱ ꜱᴀᴠɪɴɢ ɪꜱ ʏᴏᴜ." ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪᴛᴛᴇʀɴᴇꜱꜱ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴍᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴀꜱᴛᴇ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜ. "ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜰ ɪ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏꜱᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ, ᴛʜᴇɴ ���ᴀʏʙᴇ ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ᴍᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ."

[damiansgoodgirll]

Can you please write jey x jimmy x reader with what happened at summerslam? like reader is their younger sister and she was in the backstage watching jey fighting roman and watched jimmy turning his back on jey and then she confronts jimmy about it but in the end she sticks with jey please?

the usos x sister reader / rhea ripley x best friend reader

reader being dramatic is my mood

by his side

you were mad because you had no matches at summerslam. you and liv morgan were tag team champions and you were 100% you were going to defend your titles that night but to your surprise you weren’t booked for the night and that left you completely shocked.

rhea wasn’t going to defend her title either and to say that she was mad was almost like a compliment, no, she was furious. she was the woman’s champion, she had to defend her title but she wasn’t booked either and that left her shocked as you and liv were.

so you were all watching the show from backstage.

you had to be there, knowing that you’re older brother jey was going to face roman and you wanted to show him your support. you couldn’t wait for roman reign’s to end and you knew your brother had the possibility to make that happen.

you trained with him and you watched him train for the last month, and you knew he was more than ready to face roman.

you knew that your other brother solo was going to interfere and jey saw that possibility coming too, but he was ready to face solo in case he would attack him.

what you didn’t see coming was jimmy turning on your brother.

the twins, your favorite brothers splitting was the last thing you needed to see that night.

you were ready to go out there and fight jimmy, all you were seeing was black but rhea and liv had to hold you, knowing that you probably were going to cause a riot.

“you can’t go out there…” rhea whispered into your ear as she grabbed your wrist.

even if she was a heel and you and live were supposed to hate her, she was your best friend, and she knew that she had to stop you before you did something stupid.

“rhea this wasn’t supposed to happen!” you tried to free yourself from her grip but she was ten times stronger and in that moment you weren’t thinking straight.

“i know but please calm down…y/n, calm down” she held you tighter as you kept your eyes fixed on the screen.

not only jey was facing roman. he was facing solo and jimmy.

you were so mad at jimmy for doing that.

“rhea let me go…please…” you weren’t used to cry in front of other people but your brothers were involved.

“i can’t…you need to calm down, i can’t let you go outside, the production will stop you in any way if i let you go”

“i don’t care! i need to go out there and help jey!” you kept screaming, tears running down your cheecks.

rhea and liv never saw you like this. you were usually the happy and bubbly one in the group so seeing you crying like that was new for them.

“please calm down sweetie…” liv said while she guided you to the black leather couch that was in rhea’s changing room.

as you sat there watching the match, you felt unease, you almost felt sick and you couldn’t wait for the match to be over so you could go and comfort jey.

in your mind he was alone now. you were the only one left for him.

roman left. solo left, and now jimmy too.

you were living the rise and fall of your own family and what pained you the most was the fact that you couldn’t do anything to prevent that.

you left a soft breath when you saw the match ended. roman won but that was his plan from the beginning.

as you left the changing room, waiting for jey to come backstage, you saw jimmy walking right in front of you.

“jimmy!” you screamed his name and that made a few head to turn. rhea was still behind you, preventing you from attacking your own brother. jimmy ignored you but his heart broke a little when he saw the disappointment on your face “jimmy! what the fuck was that?” you kept screaming but he was ignoring you “jimmy, don’t fucking ignore me, come back here!” you started following him but rhea was like a magnet and she was blocking you from going after your bother “rhea let me go…”

“i’m not doing that…you’re not thinking straight right now”

“of course i’m not! haven’t you seen what the fuck just happened? that’s my family rhea and they’re fucking destroying each others!”

“i get it, i truly get it y/n, but you have to let things calm by themselves…you’re gonna cause more drama if you go after jimmy right now…” rhea explained to you and for a few seconds you saw her point of you but you were just so mad you couldn’t drop it.

“fine…” you said but you were only waiting for jey to come backstage.

no matter how sad or mad jey was, you knew that he would have never ignored you.

so you patiently waited for him and when you saw him, your heart broke completely. you never saw him so defeated.

“jey…” you went to hug him and he sadly smiled at you, a little relieved that you were there for him “i don’t know what has gotten into jimmy…i’m so sorry jey”

“you have nothing to apologise y/n…” he said, stroking a little your hair.

“he shouldn’t have done that…i just - i’m so mad jey! everything you’ve worked for, everything you trained for and just -just for jimmy to ruin it…”

“i wished i made everyone proud…i wish…man, i just wanted to win this, for you, for jimmy too, for my kids and the fans who expected this…but i lost…” he said, losing himself in your arms again.

the bond that the two of you shared was incredible. you were the little of the family and everyone felt super protective over you but jey always cared a little more, he was the one who swore that would never leave you, he was the one by your side during your first breakup and he was the one to comfort you everytime you felt you weren’t enough, so it was your time to stand by his side and showing him that you cared.

“you made me so proud jey…your family is proud of you too, never doubt that. i’m gonna stick by your side, always. don’forget that” you whispered, your lips turning into a soft smile.

he thanked you.

you could tell he was still heartbroken about what happened and that he needed time to process the event of the night but no matter what he knew that he could always count on you.

[miss-kuki-nz]

Roman's reaction to finding out his girl and his bloodline went behind his back by recruiting R-Truth for WarGames

SOMEONE SHOULD WRITE THIS FIC............ PRETTY PLEASE? 🙏😁.

Roman Reigns x reader

The OG Bloodline is yet to find a 5th member to join their team for WarGames, and with the ple being just around the corner, time is running out. Reader ends up going behind Roman's back by recruiting her best friend R-Truth to join the group. Jimmy, Jey, and Sami are fully on board with the idea, but none of them tell Roman

All hell breaks loose when the OTC finally finds out and ohh its not good.

Imagine Roman losing his temper

Roman being mad at his team

Roman having a go at reader but she fires back at him and puts him in his place.

R-Truth sticking up for his bestie

Reader and Roman giving eachother the silent treatment until WarGames

Things being awkward within the OG Bloodline

Jimmy and R-Truth being well Jimmy and R-Truth 🤣

Reader and Roman making up before the match at WarGames.

Team OG Bloodline coming out on top.

[romanreignseater]

You’ve Made A Mess.

Roman Reigns x Reader

Rating: 18+

Warning: Nasty hand job, really.

“Roman’s being a brat and you wanted to show him what happens to brats when they lip off too much.”

A/N: I don’t have much to say, but I hope you enjoy 😅!!

GIF: @jeysuso

com·bust

/kəmˈbəst/

to explode…

Contrary to popular belief, the Tribal Chief is a very busy man. From behind the scenes work on furthering the Bloodline’s story, to brand deals and promos, to shooting for WWE2K23.

It’s not easy being the Tribal Chief.

Roman is pretty stressed nearly everyday. Whether he’s out and about or at home dealing with the kids. You always try your best to bring his stress levels down, but he still seems very stressed.

And, you’re starting to hate it.

Roman’s attitude is out of this world. You’ve honestly never seen a grown man act like such a brat. Not only that, but his attitude is always directed towards you. There’s your kids, his family, your family, his business partners, your friends, his bosses… but all that attitude goes to you.

“Y/N, where are my Jordan’s?! I left them right here in front of the door.” You roll your eyes from the laundry room, as he yells across the house about some damn Jordan’s.

“Baby I don’t know where they are. And can you please not yell across the hallway, your son is still sleeping.” Roman footsteps are heard barreling towards you.

He enters the laundry room staring at you with hard eyes. “Why you gotta have an attitude with me?!” He expressed. You stared at him with no amusement in your face. “Joe, I don’t have time to deal with this right now. I just said I don’t know where they are, you have plenty of other shoes to wear.” Mentioning to his large show collection.

“You’ve been so distant towards me, what’s the problem?” He said softly while lifting your chin so you can look him in his eyes. His brown orbs twinkle as he looks at you.

You’d always loved his beautiful eyes, always seeming to get lost in them.

“The problem is you, Leati.” The Undisputed Champion knew anytime you mentioned his first name, you weren’t happy.

“I know I’ve been a brat, and my attitude isn’t the best as of late. But I shouldn’t be directing that towards you. I’m sorry baby.” You thought to yourself, as you were glad he understood what the problem was. He seemed pretty sincere.

“Fine. I accept your apology, but don’t bring that attitude with me, cause you know I’d whoop that ass.” Roman and you shaked hands understanding your agreement. Although, Roman is the Tribal Chief, he was very much scared of his wife who he towered over.

“Well, I’ll go find my shoes and you leave you to it.” He swiftly kissed your sweet lips and exited the room, as you stared at his perfect ass. “That boy is gonna pay… he’s gonna pay.” You said to yourself.

2 Hours Later…

You and Roman were sitting on the couch watching Black Adam (pretty good movie 8/10). Roman’s hoodie was over his head and hands in his pockets. You were cuddled up next to him, enjoying the time you guys spent alone without the kids.

But…

Your attention was focused on his spread thighs. His bulge prominently poking through his black sweatpants, looking delicious. You just wanted a bite… Your hands traveled from his burly chest to the lower part of his stomach. Roman eyes stayed trained on the screen.

“That boy is gonna pay… he’s gonna pay.”

Your thoughts from earlier in the sparked through your mind. It was go time.

Your hand laid down gently onto his dick. The weight of your hand made the Tribal Chief twitch a little. You smirked to yourself as you began massaging him through his pants.

Your eyes were focused on the movement of your hand, when a deep voice drew you back to your senses. “Baby…” Your eyes met into an intense daze.

“What?! I told you not to bring that attitude to me.” The abusive massaging of his cock did not cease. “I’ve stopped, I understand my mistakes.” He said as his breathing hitched. “But, you need a punishment big boy.” Your smile absolutely devilish.

Your hands then pull down his pants with his boxers. His cock sprang out with life and he hissed as the cold air of your living room hit the tip of his dick. Your plan:

Jerk him off, with no mouth. Overstimulate him as much as possible.

You wanted him to pay. He typically loves the feeling of your dangerous mouth, but you wanted to overstimulate the hell out of him with just your dainty little hand. You spit on your hand with absolute filth. Roman’s eyes watched as your hand began to slowly pleasure him. “Shit baby, just like that.” He moaned as the minstrel of your hand moved fluidly.

The feeling of his rigid cock felt wondrous in your delicate hand. “You like that big boy?!” Your lips moved as he looked into your eyes to say. “Yes mama. Gimme that mouth baby.”

You met his slightly open lips with a kiss. His eyebrows tweaked into questioning look. “Bab-y, I meant your mouth on my dick.” You looked into the ceiling as if you’re thinking about it. “I think… no!” Roman’s face was contorted in utter disbelief. “I do what I what honey, and you’ll just have to deal with it.” As he was about to speak, his eyes rolled to the back of his head when the top of your nail flicked the slit of his tip. “F-uckkkkk, oh my god!! Don’t stop that mama.”

You spit on the tip of his dick to add a little more moisture to his already swelting dick. You let your hand move up and down, abusing his cock. “Ooo-o baby that’s so g-ood.” Roman said expressing his gratitude for pleasuring him. “I know sweetie, I’m a professional.” Your smile shining as bright as ever. As his legs began shaking, his cock twitching feverishly, and his head lolled to the back of the couch.

“I’m ggg-onna cum.” His teeth clenched together as he indulges in the feeling of his climax reaching its point. The motion of your hand fasten and he was about to combust. “Aaaaaaa… that’s it mama, I’m gonna cum.” His moans sounding similar to yours, as you’ve never heard him moan so “women-like”.

His legs trembled as he gave out, and came all over his built thighs. But, the punishment is just beginning. Your hands continued to jerk him off, without stopping. “Wait, baby no more.” He begged, wanting to the overstimulation to stop. “No can do big boy.” His cock so ruined and spewing out more cum. His heart seemed to be beating out of his chest and eyelids fluttering shut.

You let go of his cock and licked up his cum off of your hand. “Mmmmm, tastes so good baby.” As Roman lifted his head back up, you licked the cum that had fallen all over his cock and thighs. You tongue was now in a scoop form taking in all of his cum. Roman’s eyes low as he watched you swallow his kids.

When you rised, Roman noticed the cum left on the corner of your lip. He wiped it off with his massive thumb as he looked you in the eyes. He then takes his thumb and sticks it in his mouth. You watched your filthy man swallow his own cum.

“Well I gotta go to sleep. Bye baby!” You said as you leaned forward to kiss him. You ran upstairs as he pulled up his pants and continued to watch the movie.

“I think I would make a better Black Adam.”

THE END!!

I hope you all enjoy this story 😉.

[theetherealbloom]

MAIN MASTERLIST

about me! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.• Grace she/her ⋆ 21 ⋆ libra ⋆ hufflepuff ⋆ marvel ♡ ⋆ pedro pascal ⋆ enneagram 2w1 ⋆ INFP ⋆ chaotic good

dividers by @saradika-graphics

JOEL MILLER

SERIES:

UNEVEN ODDS - (COMPLETED S1) (18+)

The Reader is dragged into the Last of Us universe and has no choice but to watch the events unfold or will she be able to change what was already written?

MINI-SERIES:

BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM - (ONGOING) (18+)

After harboring a crush on your dad's charming best friend, Joel Miller, you graduate college only to be confused by something he supposedly said to you, but then he and his daughter Sarah, reluctantly move away due to his work. Six months later, Joel returns to town, and you're desperate to confirm if his words were real. Both you and your dad eagerly await his arrival but for entirely different reasons. As feelings intensify, you realize that falling for him might not be temporary after all.

ONE-SHOTS:

I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY - Jackson!Joel Miller x Fem!Reader

Your soulmate’s birthday is written on your arm, it just happened also to be the day the world ended.

NO COMPLAINTS - Joel Miller x Fem!Reader

In the peaceful town of Jackson, life seems stable. Ellie has found some sense of belonging, but for you, life remains a constant struggle due to the trauma you carry. You've faced loss, isolation, and danger, and you're not sure where you fit in. That's when you cross paths with Joel Miller, a man with a haunted past and a heart hidden beneath a tough exterior.

YOU'RE THE RISK, I'M GONNA TAKE IT - CEO!Joel Miller x Assistant!Reader (18+)

You help your boss, Joel Miller, buy flowers for his date. Or so you thought.

DO YOU MISS US? - Billionaire! Joel Miller x Fem!Reader

You were the perfect trophy wife—elegant, supportive, and always by Joel's side. But that wasn't enough because Joel always seemed to want more, and you were left wondering if he ever really wanted you.

DIN DJARIN

SERIES:

THE SILVER LINING - (ONGOING S1-S3)

After aiding the Republic and the fall of the Empire, you left the Jedi Training Clan on Bogden 3 to help families in need of medical care with the call of the Force. You are a kind, warm-hearted healer on Nevarro, treating the citizens and albeit the bounty hunters as well. Imperial remnants still linger in the shadows, waiting to strike at the perfect moment. Leading you to assist the Mandalorian with rescuing the Child has somehow led you to your biggest adventure yet.

OBERYN MARTELL

SERIES:

AS GOOD A REASON - (18+)

(DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT!)

You, who has made it her life's work to get retribution on those who mistreated and harassed you when you were a child. The scars on your body are a physical reminder of the suffering you endured at the hands of abusers, and they also provide the fuel for your years-long quest for retribution.

MARCUS ACACIUS

SERIES:

IF THERE'S NOTHING LEFT - (18+)

You, a skilled healer, are brought to Rome by Senator Gracchus under the pretense of treating gladiators and Roman elites. You work with General Marcus Acacius to fight against the cruel reign of the twin emperors. Through danger and shared hope, your connection becomes a source of strength as you both dream of freeing Rome.

ONE SHOT:

TAKE ME DOWN TO TAKE ME HIGH - (18+)

In the grand city of Rome, you, a senator's daughter, are entangled in a world far removed from your aristocratic upbringing. Your chance encounter with General Marcus Acacius, a renowned gladiator and war hero, changes your life forever.

MATT MURDOCK

SERIES:

NOTRE DAME - (ONGOING S1-S3)

In the rafters of Clinton Church, a mysterious reader with the power of illusion manipulation silently watches over Matt Murdock, the blind vigilante known as Daredevil. As danger engulfs Hell's Kitchen, their unlikely friendship blossoms into a bond of trust and longing, intertwining their fates in a battle against darkness that tests their resolve. Will their connection illuminate a path to salvation in a city of darkness or lead them deeper into the abyss?

PEDRO PASCAL

ONE-SHOTS:

CLOSE TO YOU

A commute crush turned meet cute with Pedro Pascal.

NORMAL THING

It's a normal thing to fall in love with movie stars.

The Things I Would Do, Just To Be Here With You

Amidst the whirlwind of movie premieres and busy schedules, you and Pedro Pascal, both thriving in your respective careers, find ways to celebrate each other despite the distance. While Pedro promotes Gladiator 2 in London, he longs for your presence at the after-party. Or, you two would scream at the stars for keeping you apart… and the government too.

Don't Stop Talking To Me, And Maybe Stay Here Forever

You join Pedro Pascal in Morocco while he’s filming Gladiator 2. Between the beauty of the Moroccan landscape, the two of you share intimate moments, from quiet rooftop dinners to playful photo-taking and teasing with the cast. Or… “I'll hold you, I'll know you. I'll never leave out the back door. And I'd love to complete you, hope you get all you could ask for.”

OTHERS!

DOCTOR WHO

SERIES:

WHERE DO WE GO NOW? - (ONGOING)

An old face returns, a spaceship falls from the skies, and you thought you had moved on with that part of your life.

[octopiys]

Please please elaborate on the 141 x OldGuardau!reader

Oh my God hello OK I got u

The Old Guard is a Netflix movie about a group of people who are essentially born in different parts of time, and can die but get resurrected and stuff like that like the original post said, except the movie has more than one person. All of these people are born around historical events (dawn of time, witch trials, reign of terror) and are drawn to find each other and work as a team to not get caught by scientists or governments or anything like that, all while doing what they believe is best to protect the world.

Now for Reader, it's no small feat. If it's only themselves as an Immortal on this team (there's so much red tape around these operations including them) then it's okay. Reader is an asset to the military, and a powerful one at that.

Or maybe the reader is a newer immortal. Maybe they don't know they're immortal until an op goes bad, and they've been shot, bleeding out into an alleyway, their blood mingling with the water. Maybe their Lieutenant is aside them, doing everything within his power to keep them from bleeding out, but the wound is too bad. And in the rain, maybe they even die.

But with a gasp, they're awake again, and the young Lieutenant John Price is shocked. Baffled. No, there's not even a word for how he feels. His sergeant's wounds are knitting together after they died, and he knew they died because he witnessed it himself. He felt their pulse give out.

Now both Reader and Price are terrified. If Reader can't die, what'll happen then? He wants to radio it in to their captain, or the general, but Reader begs him not to.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a war is brewing. Most top governments have heard whispers about a man called Kingfish, one who was so battle worn, so ruthless, so victorious, that he could topple governments by just stepping foot into their building. Rumors spread of no bullet able to pierce his flesh, like he was the Roman God of War himself.

Now, the United States doesn't believe in rumors until they've witnessed it firsthand. Little do they know, they already have.

Kate Laswell may only be a Station Chief, but she's damn good at her job. She knows her kind when she hears it, and recently there's been a shift. Like a sixth sense, she calls John.

And just like that, she knows. The next immortal is here, and with them, comes war.

Years pass, and tensions are rising between the East and the West. Price has even become captain, and scored himself a team and an odd one at that.

Of course, there's Reader. They've always been there first. A little more frazzled as time goes on, but still good. Yeah, still good.

Then joins Simon Riley. They call him the Ghost. This is reader's best bet for another immortal. Laswell has a few arguments against it, but has never outright denied the claim. But how metal is it that he clawed his way out of his own grave? That's immortal material if I've ever heard of it.

Then Kyle Garrick. They call him Gaz. Don't ask why. He's a bright thing, and a wicked sense of humor. He used to be on another force, but after an event, Price handpicked him to be on the task force. He's one of Reader's best friends. They wish he was immortal too.

Finally, came John MacTavish. He was younger than Gaz by at least a few months, making him the youngest on the 141, and Reader always held it over him. He had a fancy for pyrotechnics too, and a hell of a swear to him.

Maybe a few missions go by. Maybe more than that. They still can't get used to seeing Reader lifeless with a bullet in between their eyes, or a knife to the gut, or a grenade blown too close. Wounds heal quicker, but not if they're lethal. Yet the scars never show on their skin by the time the boys are able to pull them out of there. Reckless, maybe, but Reader's saved their asses more times than they could count.

The war rages on.

Kingfish's power grows in the East, and the task force grows wary. Even with Laswell's advice, there was still a guarantee that they'd be sent out to the front when it got bad enough, take out the threat. But the rumors have grown.

Kingfish cannot die.

And Laswell knows.

Kingfish has gone by many names throughout the centuries. His first, Emperor Nero, causing the fall of the entire Roman empire. After he faked his death, he worked from the sidelines. He slayed the last Byzantinian Emperor, he broke through the walls of Constaninople. The Reign of Terror: an advisor, and a trusted one at that. Now, the urge had resurfaced, and he took on a new name once more.

Vladimir Makarov. Kingfish.

Or, the entire team is immortal. Laswell knows about all of them. Ghost knows enough. Reader knows... Somewhat. But nobody else does. Frankly, nobody's given a thought to dying to find out. And until that tunnel, no one had even tried.

The scream is tearing out of reader's throat before Soap even hits the ground, Price still incapacitated, concussed. Reader does not care about the bomb. Ghost doesn't either. They're both there, checking for vitals as they panic, blood spilling out of his wound, as Gaz hoists Price to his feet and they go to disarm the bomb.

They find nothing within Soap. Absolutely nothing. Reader feels cold washing over the room, like they can't breathe. Like a numbness that consumed everything. Soap- If Soap went now... then it could be Gaz, or Price next. Ghost, Reader couldn't even think about. It seemed impossible. And it occurred to Reader that they didn't sign up for this. No dying, compared to anyone and everyone around you perishing in the blink of an eye. They used to be okay with it. And Soap was gone in an instant.

They're dragging him out in a hurry, and the faintest sound is pulled from his lips. It seems Laswell knew more about them all than she let on.

They get caught up in other enemies as Soap peels himself off the floor. They weren't gonna just let Makarov escape, they couldn't. They knew what he could do.

Price told Reader not to go after him. Not alone.

But Reader can't risk losing any more friends. Even if Soap did end up being okay. If something happened to Price or Gaz, they wouldn't be able to live with it.

But they would have to.

So Reader runs. They tear after him like a bat out of hell, taking bullet after bullet, felling each person who fired one. They reach the top of the stairs and launch themself at him, before a gun goes off.

Reader felt it go straight through their side in a searing hot blaze, knowing that this time, something was different. Something was wrong.

The comm was yanked out of their ear and smashed beneath a boot.

The wound they sustained wasn't that bad, in the grand scheme of things. Their vision darkens at the edges, like it does when these things happen, and before reader can close their eyes, a face fills their vision.

"Not as strong now, are you, little one?" The thick curl of Makarov's Russian lilt finds its way into their ears, as the sharp pounding fire in their side grows worse. Despite the woozy fight they put up, Reader is restrained, unable to call for help. The van comes into view as Price bursts out of a window behind them, barreling towards the group, Ghost in high pursuit.

They disappear behind the van's doors as they close, and as Reader's vision dampens more, they wonder why their bullet wound hasn't healed yet.

im so down to completely info dump on this, whether it be more details towards the story, or individual characters like reader or ghost or laswell or anything like that I fucking love the old guard

[caramelcleopatraa]

Golden Hour

word count: 1k

x: finished this short thing in an hour at work...... nothing else to say... enjoy :)

content: You sing “Golden Hour” for Roman Reigns at his wedding. Roman x Semeni, Roman x Reader, angst

You had been invited to sing at a wedding. You were excited. You think. You haven't gotten to sing at a wedding in a long time. Of course, this was different this time. Who’s wedding? Roman and Semeni, your longtime friends that have stuck with you since high school, despite you all pursuing different paths. A pro wrestler, a singer, and a model. Who knew you three would go on to be so successful. But that’s not the thought lingering in your mind, no, your heart as you clutch the microphone with obnoxiously sweaty hands.

It was just two lovers 

Sittin' in the car, listening to Blonde

Fallin' for each other

Pink and orange skies, feelin' super childish

No Donald Glover

Missed call from my mother

Like, "Where you at tonight?" Got no alibi

I was all alone with the love of my life

You stood at the front of the shiny marble dance floor, accompanied by a shiny, immense grand piano, and a string quartet. You stood farther out in front of the instruments to be seen, but not too far to the point where you were distracting. Singing Golden Hour for the newly wed as they twirled across the dancefloor, love written across their faces. You could almost smile. Almost

She's got glitter for skin

My radiant beam in the night

I don't need no light to see you

Shine

It's your golden hour (oh)

You slow down time

In your golden hour (oh)

God, that annoying, unbearable pain in your chest as you sang the song to your best ability, not showing the state you were trying to desperately betray. Why weren't you happy? Your best friend is getting married. It's not new news. Neither is the widespread burning in your chest. But you thought you had finally gotten over yourself. Countless journey entries, therapy sessions, hour phone calls to your friend Gianna, who tried her best to console you and be with you every time you called. But seeing them together, hand in hand, dancing along to your voice with their love for each other pushing and floating them across the floor. It was unendurable.

We were just two lovers

Feet up on the dash, drivin' nowhere fast

Burnin' through the summer

Radio on blast, make the moment last

She got solar power

Minutes feel like hours

She knew she was the baddest, can you even imagine

Fallin' like I did?

The string quartet sang along with you, cheering them on into their new path in life. Something you should be doing, but you're not. Closing your eyes. That's what you had resorted to doing. Closing your eyes, singing the best you could. You imagined a wonderful white and blue room, adorned with ambient lighting and clouds everywhere. Fog covered the ground, but formed around your feet as you walked through. So captivating, but free at the same time. You wore a wonderful white gown, with silver accessories that shined bright in any room. And you looked up at Roman, wearing a designer black suit, with a silver clip with etched in diamonds attached to his suit, and a blue handkerchief. 

For the love of my life

She's got glow on her face

A glorious look in her eyes

My angel of light

I was all alone with the love of my life

She's got glitter for skin

My radiant beam in the night

He took your hand as you two moved across the thick fog. No audience, no guests or family members, just you two. Sharing a special intimate moment with each other. Letting your love cloud your mind. Interfere with your judgment. Living in this beautiful moment. Your whole body tingled, feeling a gust of cold wind, dispersing your picture perfect daydream. They had glided past you like two flies in the hot summer heat. Her gigantic snow white dress brushing your toes as they smile stayed still. Well it was working until now. It's almost as if her snapping you out of your daydream made it worse. If only it was real

I don't need no light to see you

Shine

It's your golden hour (oh)

You slow down time

In your golden hour (oh)

A singular tear rode down your painted face. Staining the layers of makeup you had put on hours before the occasion. The camera man took a picture of you, probably mistaking your hot tear for a tear of joy. He couldn’t be more wrong. God, why were you here? Why did you even offer to do this for them? You should’ve known that you were going to break. It hurts. Seeing them together. In love. In a celebration and cheers to future happy memories, here you are. Questioning your placement here. Among these happy souls, as you stare holes into the side of their head. With anger? Disgust? Sadness? You didn't know. Maybe all three. Maybe none. The piano quiets and the string quartet fades. They take one longing look at eachother, and kiss. A loud explosion of head pounding applause followed. And you fakely followed suit. You wonder if you would have been more forward with him, that you would be standing in her place. All of these people would be clapping with you instead of her. If you would have told her to leave him alone, maybe they would have never gotten married. And you wouldn't be standing there, cursing yourself for being so scared. You looked at him with longing, and her with confused jealousy. As she stood there, and danced with your first love. They looked at you with unnerving happiness, their eyes and smiles thanking you for giving them such a special moment to remember. And you smiled too, wiping your tears to make things seem more dramatic. But Roman's face changed. Seeing right through your paper thin smile. And you knew he would ask you about it later.

Can they even imagine falling like you did?

🏷️ tags :) @reignsboy19 @2-muchsauce @theninthwonder @harmshake @alichesmi @thesamoanqueen @alyyaanna @empressdede @badbitchcentralinc @christinabae @fame-ass-ers @southerngirl41 @cyberdejos2 @murrylove @sassginaswanmills @pixiedust4000

[juceynightmare]

dating 101 (18+) part 24 - cody rhodes x reader

my masterlist

dating 101 (18+) masterlist

pairing(s): cody rhodes x fem!reader, roman reigns x fem!reader

warning(s): swearing, slapping, marijuana usage, possessive!cody, unwanted advances

genre(s): college!au, slow burn, fluff, angst

|| previous part || next part ||

when cody walked back into his room and shut the door behind him, he didn’t expect ted to already be sitting at his desk facing the door with his hands in his lap. cody stared at him for a moment and silently cursed the world because he had actually wanted to be alone and listen to painfully sad music. “when did you get back?” cody asked instead of jumping head first into his mattress and screaming into his pillow out of frustration.

“at the perfect time. i saw you and y/n go back to her room all giggly and happy.” ted hummed, a knowing smirk on his face as cody sat down in his chair. “and when i walked by, i expected the door to be open, only to find it to be closed, and i know y/n usually has her door open, even if one of us were in there with her alone.” he continued, watching the way a blush had rose to cody’s cheeks.

cody didn’t have a bone in him that wanted to deny what ted saw. he already had enough on his plate already, especially knowing that y/n was currently in her room talking to roman about god knows what. “i like her.” cody admitted, pulling out his ipad and instantly opening up the spotify app so he could throw together a sad playlist for himself to listen to until y/n eventually gave him an answer. “i told her that i wanted to date her.”

“and…” ted dragged on the word, clearly expecting there to be a good outcome to the situation. he had front row tickets to watching his two best friends start falling for each other and had been waiting for one of them to finally admit to him that they had a thing for each other.

“and nothing.” cody sighed, already reaching for his backpack so he could pull out his airpods. “she’s in there talking to roman right now. if i’m honest, i don’t have much hope.” he admitted, visibly slumping in his seat as he put an airpod in one of his ears and began to put together a new playlist.

ted stared at cody in disbelief, watching the way his cocky, overly-confident, “i don’t have to try to get pussy because the pussy just falls right into my lap” roommate had retracted into a shell of uncertainty and insecurity. it was unsettling to say the least.

what was more unsettling was how far cody was in his insecurities that he truly believed that y/n wouldn’t choose him in the end. ted reached over and smacked cody upside the head, causing cody to look at ted with anger in his gaze.

before cody could retaliate and chew out ted, ted pointed his finger at cody and said, “you’re a fucking idiot if you think she’s going to choose roman over you.”

cody calmed himself down, turning his head to look back towards his screen as he sighed in defeat. “what makes you even say that?” he questioned, tapping away at his screen as he filled the playlist with endless songs to get cody in his feels. “man, i fucking start the day with her. every single day ever since we met. i tie her hair up so it’s not in the way while she does her skincare. and then i end the day with her. we’ve been fucking for the past week or so. i’ll tuck her in bed after cleaning her up, kiss her goodnight and leave even though i want nothing more than to just sleep with her by my side. but guess what, ted. roman’s still on her fucking mind.”

ted stared at cody with wide eyes. he certainly knew cody was leaving in the middle of the night to go fuck some girl, he had woken up to use the restroom in the middle of the night only to find cody’s bed empty. he just never would have guessed that the person cody was sleeping with was y/n.

“you took her virginity?” ted asked, remembering when y/n had admitted that she was a virgin. he watched the way cody nodded his head and open one of his drawers.

cody pulled out a pack of pre-rolled joints and his lighter. he took one of the joints out and placed it between his pursed lips, holding the box out to ted to offer him one. ted shook his head at the offer, watching as cody set the pack down on his desk and reach for his ashtray.

“were you her first kiss too?” ted asked as cody held the joint between two fingers and lit the end while rolling it. the question seemed to have put cody in a sour mood, and a scowl appeared on his face.

“roman was.” he muttered bitterly, bringing the joint to his lips after it was lit and drawing the smoke into his mouth. cody pulled the joint away from his lips as he held the smoke in his mouth for a few seconds before inhaling it into his lungs, exhaling as he slumped back into his chair.

ted nodded his head, turning away from cody as the man continued to puff, puff, puff, as if his life depended on it. ted didn’t even know that y/n had a bone in her body that was capable of “whoring” around, although it seemed he was proven wrong considering cody’s words.

“just trust that she’ll choose you in the end. it’s weird seeing you so insecure about yourself, man.” ted mumbled, not knowing how else he could reassure his roommate.

cody held the joint over the ashtray as he exhaled the smoke in his lungs. he tapped the joint against the edge, watching the way the ash fell on to the tray. he thought over ted’s words for a second before changing the topic, “roman texted me some weird shit. y/n texted him that she wanted to talk to him because… she told me she wanted to figure things out since she didn’t know what she want and i guess her first step is to talk to roman. but roman sent me some weird ass fucking text to me.”

ted looked over at cody as cody pulled up his messages app on his ipad. he tilted the ipad towards ted so that he could read over the message.

“last night was basement night at theta xi. i blacked out so i don’t remember a single thing, but something happened between roman and i clearly. there’s no reason for him to be so hostile. i don’t even know what i could have told her that’d piss him off.” cody groaned, already raising the joint back up to his lips once more.

ted sighed, shaking his head and turning the ipad back towards cody. “i don’t know, codes. clearly something bad if he’s threatening to kill you for talking to her. maybe ask randy if you said anything? i don’t think you should ask jimmy or jey, they’re loyal to roman.” he suggested.

cody nodded his head, remembering that y/n had told him that randy was the one to bring him back to the dorms. “yeah, good idea. i’ll text randy, he was the one that brought me back here. maybe i said some shit.” he hummed, already pulling up his text chat with randy so that he could send him a message.

across the hall in the other room was a very tense, panicked roman and a confused, fiery y/n. y/n had taken a seat in her chair, leaning back with her arms crossed over her chest while roman stood in front of her.

“you haven’t said a word in the past 3 minutes. having trouble thinking up another lie?” y/n scoffed, finally cutting the radio silence that had filled the room.

roman didn’t know where to go now. he was already in a frantic state of mind, having just visited his baby momma that lived two floors down to try and convince her, yet again, to get an abortion. and now here he was in y/n’s room thinking of all the ways he could manage to salvage their… whatever they were… in order to secure his 500 dollars from jey.

he had jumped to conclusions when y/n texted, only thinking that the only reason why she’d want to talk is because cody had remembered what happened the night prior and snitched. he hadn’t even thought of any other reason that she’d want to talk to him.

“what did you want to talk about?” roman asked instead, hoping she wouldn’t press any further.

“everything i heard from a little birdie, who isn’t cody, by the way. so keep his name out of your mouth.” y/n growled. and although she presented herself as demanding, on the inside she was internally freaking out.

there was no way roman was going to directly answer her questions about what he just said, and so, she took a page out of austin’s book and decided to put her drama club skills to use. improv was always her strong suit, according to austin.

she watched roman seem to tense up at the mention of cody, and confusion washed over his features when y/n said it wasn’t cody who had told her what she knew. of course, she didn’t know jack shit but roman believed otherwise.

“i’m an open book, roman. you know me, i’m not one to judge. it’d be better if you were just honest with me so i can hear straight from the person who’s in the center of all the drama instead of hearing multiple different variations.” she continued, watching the way roman seemed to be visibly fighting a war in his mind.

“how much do you know?” roman eventually asked.

hook, line, and sinker. y/n could practically hear austin’s voice humming in the back of her head.

“everything else besides whatever this is about another girl somehow being involved in the entire stint.” y/n replied, fully aware that the only piece of information she really had was the fact that roman had walked in here claiming cody’s a liar that there’s a girl that’s supposedly jealous of her and roman.

roman sighed, bringing his hands and rubbing his palms over his face. he had no idea how he’d get out of this one. it didn’t help that the stupidly expensive bouquet he had gotten her was still proudly being displayed on her desk. roman could feel a twinge of guilt tug at his heart.

he lowered his hands and responded, “an ex of mine.” he figured that was a neutral enough answer that wouldn’t land him in a deeper hole. he watched as y/n nodded her head and seemed to think of another question to ask him.

“alright if she’s just an ex of yours, then why does what she thinks about us matter?” she questioned. when roman could only stare at y/n with wide eyes, she knew that he didn’t have an answer that’d satisfy the both of them.

she sighed, bringing her hand up to pinch her nose. “you know what? i’m just not going to push it. i wanted to talk to you about ending things between us because i realized that i’m just really shit when it comes to dating and i need to take a step back from people.”

roman could hear the money leave his wallet, and god did he need those 500 dollars of his to stay in his wallet and for jey to cough up 500 out of his own wallet. “wait, what? was it something i did? is it because of her?” roman asked, trying to find some sort of doorway that was still open that he could slip himself into.

y/n let her hand fall from her face, letting it fall back against her lap. “no, i literally just told you the reason why. are you even listening or are you too stuck in your own head?” she asked. she knew she had roman right where she wanted him, watching the way he drew in a breath nervously and he began to fidget with the watch he wore on his wrist.

roman stared at her, trying to read her body language and the way her eyes seemed to hide something from her. however, he knew that he didn’t know y/n like that. whenever the girl would talk about herself, the man would simply pocket the information and focus on how sinful her tits would look in a specific shirt.

and it hit him.

she wasn’t even confronting him about the bet, which was arguably the most problematic part of the whole narrative considering that it directly involved her. she was bluffing about knowing everything. roman didn’t even know if she even knew about the fact that the “ex” he mentioned was pregnant with his child.

but that also meant she was deadset on ending things with roman.

“y/n, please. don’t we have a good thing going on?” roman asked, taking a step forward and reaching for y/n’s hand. when he grabbed her hand, y/n pulled her hand away from his so ferociously as if he had just burned her.

“roman, i know it’s such a shit saying but i really mean it. it’s not you, it’s me. i need to figure shit out, okay? i’m sorry if i lead you on or whatever, but i’m hurting someone that means a whole lot to me and it was sort of my wake up call that i can’t keep on going on dates with you while sleeping with somebody else entirely.” y/n sighed, unable to even look roman in the eye as she tilted her head downwards.

roman stared at her with wide eyes. she was actively sleeping with someone else while roman was out here trying to get her to sleep with him by going on dates. he, jey, and jimmy had clearly gotten the wrong narrative about y/n. they thought she was a goody two shoes through and through: the type of girl that would only sleep with a guy if they were dating. she had even turned down roman when he made advances towards her and told him that she’d have to be his girlfriend before they went any further.

“it could have been that easy all along?” roman asked, and the change in his tone had made y/n look back up at roman. she was confused by roman’s words, not knowing what roman was even referring to, but what had caught her attention was the way roman’s voice had deepened to a sultry tone. and suddenly, roman was crouching down so he was eye level with y/n, his hands on her knees. “look, no matter how good this guy is at fucking you to the point where you were so deadset on having me wait until we start officially dating, i can assure you that i’m better. just give me one night, doll.”

y/n stared at roman with wide eyes, and she roughly pushed his hands off of her knees when they began to travel upwards. “i don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but i can assure you that i did not ask to talk to you just so you can ‘prove’ to me that you’re a sex god.” she huffed, scooting her chair back and standing up. “roman, if you want me to even think of you as a friend after all this, i think you should leave right now.” y/n suggested, watching the man stand up.

roman rested his hands against her hips, pulling her close to him and tightening his grip on her when he felt her press her hands against his chest to try and push him away. “come on, don’t be like that, doll. just one night.” he hummed.

y/n forcefully shoved roman away, stepping around him and opening the door. she turned to look at him, feeling the parts of her body that roman had laid his hands on begin to burn in the worst way possible. “get out. i’m not fucking you, roman. that’s not going to change my mind on ending whatever this is between us.” she huffed.

y/n hadn’t realized that across the hall, ted had opened the door to further air out the room because even with the window open, cody was absolutely hotboxing the fuck out of their enclosed space. he just so happened to have opened the door right when y/n had already turned back around.

“close the door, doll. it doesn’t have to be like this, come on. just one night and i can make you forget all about that guy and we can go back to having our little dates and what not.” roman continued to press, clearly not caring that ted was watching from his doorway. he walked towards her, placing his hand on her waist and already moving to shut the door closed before she smacked his hand away from her.

“stop fucking touching me, roman! how many times do i have to say it to get it through your fucking skull? you and me should go back to being just friends before i hurt anyone else. and if you still want to even be considered my friend, i suggest you walk your ass right out of this room.” y/n seethed.

roman grunted, “you’re being fucking difficult. so you’ll put out for some other dude but not me? come on, doll. stop being such a fucking prude.” roman placed his hand on the door and began to shut it, as he backed y/n into the wall, but before he could shut the door and y/n could push him away, the sound of a hand colliding with the door to keep it open rang throughout the hall.

“don’t call her that, roman.” ted called from where he stood behind cody, who was currently pressing his entire body weight against the door to push it all the way open.

roman took a step back from y/n, watching as cody stood in front of her protectively, swaying side to side in his doped haze. cody had a hand out behind him, keeping y/n tucked behind his frame as he glared at roman through his bloodshot eyes.

ted stepped in to the room, observing the obvious tension that had risen between cody and roman. ted knew cody would have probably said every insult that existed to roman and chewed him up if he were sober, but cody had gone nonverbal not too long after he had started smoking - a sign that the man was long gone in the clouds. even though the man was high out of his mind and couldn’t even hold himself up on his own two feet, something about hearing roman and y/n had made cody shoot out of his seat and storm over to the room before ted could even react - and ted was the sober one.

“ted. codes. it’s cool, i’m just trying to work something out with my girl. i’m not giving up on her. on us.” roman tried to reason. ted pulled a face when roman referred to y/n as his girl, while cody had visibly grown angrier.

“roman, if y/n is your girl then why don’t you just fucking listen to her and leave. we don’t want any trouble, man, and i’m sure you don’t want any either.” ted replied with a sigh, reaching out to place a hand on roman’s shoulder. roman shrugged off ted’s hand.

“look, i don’t care how close you two are to her. but what happens between me and y/n is none of your business. now, let me work things out with my girl.” he tried to get the other two to leave the room.

cody grabbed y/n’s wrist from behind him, pulling her in front of him and turning her around so her back was facing roman. he wrapped an arm around her shoulders to keep her pressed against his front as his other hand lifted the back of her shirt to proudly display the mark he had left on her lower back. y/n yelped at the sudden action, not knowing what cody was trying to do until she felt him lift her shirt and her eyes widened in realization. ted and roman both stared at cody’s name that had been engraved in her skin. the cut that read “cody’s <3” still red and irritated - a sign that it was a new addition to y/n’s body.

and when roman met cody’s gaze, he knew that if looks could kill, he’d be six feet under. cody narrowed his gaze at roman, and growled out a single word that could have been taken as a threat with how much malice it held.

“mine.”

|| next part ||