One
Dean Ambrose had plans to take over the world and if anyone had been smart, they'd stay out of his way.
All his plans now, however, were placed on the backburner because of one reason alone: Roman Reigns.
As the love of life laid motionless in front of him, Dean's mind wandered aimlessly at the recent turn of events.
Finding out his family's skeleton in the closet had been one: dad was part of the brotherhood, a group of men whose sole task was protecting their town's land against dark lords - men whose powers rivalled the greatest sorcerers - for the aborigines of the town: the Samoans.
His real dad was one of - if not - the strongest dark lord while his mother was a mortal.
All these had slowly been revealed to him before his birthday where - as foretold by the brotherhood, Roman's family and his - upon the sighting of the red moon, Dean's full powers would be developed and he would walk among his kind.
None of them counted on his love for Roman… and Roman's love for him. In fact, if it wasn't for his boyfriend, all of these fools would have been dead by now.
In a dark world of deceit and lust for power, Roman was his beacon of hope and light; of all things right. He was his anchor, his heart and soul.
Now here he was lying pale and lifeless; all because he had taken the blow of a powerful sword meant for Dean.
Best friends from fifth grade till senior year when they finally acted on their hidden feelings, they had also discovered that they were also more than lovers; they were soulmates… literally.
Would explain why they had a hard time staying away from one another.
Would explain why they couldn't bear to be away from one another longer than a day.
Until now.
Dean could remember the anger that had lashed through him when he cradled Roman in his arms after he had closed his eyes. The weather too had mirrored his inner anguish of losing the only man he had loved.
Afa, Roman's uncle who specialised in healing amongst other gifts, had said that he had found his nephew in limbo. Unfortunately Roman didn't want to come home… home to Dean and it baffled the dark lord king who had thought his other half was happy with him.
Roman had said it to him often and it was something Dean agreed with wholeheartedly: they were one another's home. They found comfort, love, security and warmth with the other so why did he not want to return?
Linking his fingers with Roman's, Dean kissed his hand. "I hope you can hear me, Roman. I miss you so much and it's only been three quarter of the day. Come home, babe. Please. I'm waiting for you."
There was a knock on the door then before Dean went to open it.
Roman's mother and Emma, an orphan girl that Roman and him called theirs, stood in front.
"She couldn't stop crying," Mrs Reigns wept. "Neither can I."
"Come in." Dean quickly ushered them in before closing the door. "Have you eaten?"
"Both of us could barely eat a spoon."
"Mum…"
Mrs Reigns hugged him before she sat down beside Roman where Emma was snuggled near him.
Roman was the one who had first spotted her. According to his boyfriend - Dean still refused to call him as late - she had been standing in the corner of this same bedroom in the castle, trembling when he came near her.
But she took a chance and stretched out her arms wanting to be carried. And Roman - the Mother and Father bear all rolled in one - did, growing attached to her. Although Dean initially had reservations about children, he couldn't help but empathise with her too; her parents had been tortured to death by King Hunter, another vicious ruler of the underworld, for apparently trying to steal corn from the field near his kingdom.
Emma was tortured herself; they burnt her and cut off her tongue; her inability to speak was the only thing Dean couldn't heal. Her burn marks were gone, skin rejuvenated as if nothing had happened to her.
"Have you eaten?" Mrs Reigns asked him, interrupting his thoughts.
"The same as you," Dean sighed sadly as he sat down on the bed. "What can we do? I tried pleading him but there's no response. I just can't understand why he doesn't want to… to..."
"I hate to say it but maybe he's happier there."
Roman Reigns stared at the man who was standing in front of him, who had asked him to stopped from entering the darkness with his father, Sika.
The Samoan warrior could not believe who was standing in front of him: Mark Calaway, Dean's biological father.
"Surprise," the dark lord said, a smirk present on his face. "Bet you weren't expecting to see me."
"You're supposed to be dead," Roman replied. "How are you still standing in limbo?"
"Because I refused to move from this spot. I've been waiting for someone of importance to get me out of here."
"Importance? Look, Mark, I can't get you out of anything and I'm nowhere near anything of importance."
"With your blood you can."
"What-"
Sika was furious to say the least. "My son will not be giving you anything."
"Of course he will," Mark countered smoothly. "He loves Dean; he'll go back."
Roman shook his head. "No. I can't. Dean's better off without me."
"I know I'm suppose to be happy to hear you say that but I'm going to have to disagree with you. Even though my pain in the ass of a son killed me, I can say you make him happy. So you behave like a mother hen. Beats being a deadbeat boyfriend."
"Don't listen to him, Roman," his father cajoled him. "He only wants to go back up there."
"No different than you wanting to bring him into the darkness where it'll be over for good. Is that what you really want, Roman? You still have a chance to go back; your blood is meant for healing. I know because Dean told me so once. I need it to go back and put him in his place. Then I have to continue my plans."
"Plans?" Roman puzzled. "What plans?"
"I was going to get rid of Seth and an old nemesis… someone who rules the highlands below in the underworld: Paul Wright."
"Why would you want to travel to the highlands?"
"The same way you have Chief Anoa'i, Paul's father was our leader before he exiled himself. He holds with him a powerful sword which can counter the one that poisoned you. I need that sword."
"And why would Paul's father keep it to himself?"
"He always had a holier than thou complex. When we demanded it from him, he refused to give it to us, said it would bring about dark times. I need that sword because if I know those Samoans, they'll be going after Dean."
"But Dean's powerful."
Mark nodded. "That he may be but consider, Roman, what if there was a traitor in your family?"
There were too many count as traitors when Roman thought about it: the brotherhood who had masked themselves as protectors of Dean when in reality, they had wanted him dead from the moment they knew he was in his mother's womb.
Roman's own family, whom also knew the truth, kept if from him; they spent years being hostile on and off towards Dean. The grey eyed man's own father was a traitor, he reminded himself, yet here he was about to step into the dark with him-
"I only did what I did because they promised me power!" Sika revealed suddenly. "Then I found myself here."
"You worked with Hunter on that," the dark lord sneered. "Not me. So take it up with him."
"Wait," Roman commented. "Why isn't Hunter waiting here?"
"Hunter was killed by the sword, Roman. Dark lords either die by the sword or die naturally though that will take hundred of years and then they get sent to the dark. Any other way of dying, you're in limbo which is far more torturing in the long run. So. Can I count on you for help?"
The steak in front of him looked unappetising.
Or maybe because he didn't feel like even eating. Not when the love of his life laid in bed, cold.
Dean wished this was a fairytale like Snow White where the hero or heroine of the story was in such a state and only a kiss of true love could wake them up. If he were in a similar situation, he'd kiss the hell out of Roman, making sure they never parted from one another again.
The way they were now.
Mrs Reigns had insisted he get something to fill his stomach; Emma and her would stay by Roman's side till his return. Dean had reluctantly agreed; Roman's mother didn't need anymore to worry about.
"Is everything alright, Sire?" one of the servants asked. "Would you like more water?"
"No, it's fine," Dean declined as he stood up from his chair in the dining room. "I'm going out for a stroll."
"Very good, Sire."
The entire Bloomville was now in a state of darkness, Dean mused as he walked; no one dared to come near this castle: no cops nor Sheamus who ruled this town.
But he realised he had spoken too soon when General Drew McIntyre approached him. "Sire-" the bearded brunette said, "King Sheamus to see you."
Dean nodded briskly and faked a smile when Sheamus approached him. "Sheamo."
"What is all this, Dean?" the redhead demanded through gritted teeth. "I will not have your castle on my grounds."
"Really? Last time I checked, I'm free to do whatever the hell I want."
"This is Bloomville. This is my town. There's only room for one king and trust me, it isn't you!"
"Really? Do you even know who I am, Sheamus?"
"Oh I do. The question you should be asking yourself, young dark lord, is do you know who I am?"
Dean's tongue slipped out. "Oh I know who you are and let me tell you something, Sheamo: I ain't scared of you. Bring whoever you want; I'll take down the whole lot of you. I'm going to take over Bloomville. I'm going to take over Sandalwood. I'm going to take over Lakeview and every town and city after that and there's not one man who can stop me."
"Not one?"
"Not one."
"I wouldn't be so cocky; I'm sure there's someone out there who can stop you."
"Oh really? I'd like to know who that man is."
Roman pondered over Mark's question.
As much as he felt that Dean deserved better than him, he did want to make sure no one else backstabbed him too.
Maybe he could do so from a distance as a friend... the way he used to in high school. "I… I was prepared to go," he revealed to Mark, "To leave Dean and everything behind. But I don't want him to get hurt by more people from my family. It's bad enough we ruined his life."
"We?" Mark replied. "Roman, you didn't do anything to Dean."
But he did; he had kept Dean from living his life. Roman would do good by staying away.
"Look, I don't normally ask for help but now I am," Mark implored again. "I need to go back up there. And I know Dean; he's cocky and think he can take on anyone but when someone gets hold of that sword-"
"So others are aware of it?"
"Yes. Others like the Irish demons. The brotherhood too which also means..."
Which also meant that his family knew too.
Roman had no choice; right now, Mark was the lesser of two evils and Dean's safety was still his priority, lover or not. "I'll help you," he agreed. "What do I have to do?"
Emma was sound asleep, curled up in Roman's left side while Dean lied on his right.
Mrs Reigns had long retired to her bedroom, leaving just the three of them alone.
Dean didn't want to give up; he refused to. He would fight tooth and nail to get his boyfriend back even if it meant going down there to find out why Roman was so adamant on staying.
Or maybe it was as what Mrs Reigns had said: he was happier there.
His thought then flew to Sheamus. That was two wars he had to brace himself for: Seth and Sheamus. Well the more the merrier. He might as well buy kegs of beer for his men to get ready for their victory party.
It was an inconceivable notion that anyone could defeat him.
There was a sudden feeling of coldness then in the air which made the king sit upright then and immediately he knew what it was: something or someone was here.
"Show yourself," he demanded. "Or I will draw you out myself."
The someone who appeared before him was someone unexpected and it came in the form of his father, Mark. "Hello, son. Daddy's home to stay."
"The hell!" Dean jumped out of bed, questions plaguing him now. "I got rid of you!"
"And you succeeded. In fact, if it wasn't for the kindness of someone, I wouldn't be here."
"Kindness? Who in their everloving mind would help you?!"
Dean followed his father's gaze and he found Roman's eyelashes fluttering then. "That someone with the everloving mind."
A/N Thank you for the love shown for Pt 3. We're steaming ahead with this and Deb, you're not completely far off; that's all I can say :-)
