A/N: I'm in my feelings. So I decided I shouldn't suffer alone. I wrote this from a prompt on tumblr, so here we are.
I need a plus-one for my brother's wedding so i'm asking this favor but there's been a misunderstanding and now my whole family thinks we're engaged.
It's easily the pettiest fight she's ever been in, but Nikki Bella refuses to be dateless to her brother, JJ's wedding. He insists that she'll be dateless, that since John, there's no way she'll ever get a date serious enough to consider bringing around family. And maybe she's mostly upset because it could be true. It could very well be possible that John Cena has ruined her ability to not be presumptuous but dammit Nikki does not lose. She's the longest reigning Divas Champion of all time — she's simply not a loser.
And since being back to work, there's this cloud over her head telling her JJ will be proven right. She has 4 days to find a last minute date and the pool is very small when it comes to her options. She's really left with two choices — be dateless and lose a small portion of her ego to her pretentious little brother, or suck up her pride and ask John to go with her. And both sound terrible. But Brie would kill her if she asks her ex boyfriend. So Nikki is effectively, quite, stuck.
"Why don't you just ask… Anyone?" Brie asks, fighting a teasing smile as she, Paige, Renee, and Alicia stare at her, eating various versions of the same barely acceptable salads from catering.
"Ew," Nikki groans, stabbing at her caesar salad with a new sense of defeat filling her up. "And while I'm at it, why don't I just skip all that and staple a sign that says desperate to my forehead?"
"Well," Alicia sighs, frowning. "You are desperate." Brie and Paige laugh, a little louder the moment Nikki looks like she could jump over the table and strangle one of them. Alicia looks as if she has no idea why or when what she said became funny.
Paige collects herself before the others, smiling as she tucks a strand of her gray frosted hair behind her ear, "Jus' ask somebody. Painless. Rip the bandaid off." Her accent is subtle since she's been around so many people who speak differently than she does. She denies it though, because she's Paige. And she is unique, a leader. So obviously she's the same person she's always been. Nikki admires her resolve.
"I agree with Casper here." Renee begins. Paige looks at her like she's a bug on the button of her Doc Martens. Dean and Roman call her Casper. But because she's turned over a new leaf, she stays quiet. Nikki definitely thinks she's changed. Though, Nikki herself wonders why Brie's little friend thought she could offer her unnecessary opinion. Renee continues anyway. "What's the worse that could happen really?"
"She could ask Dean." Alicia snickers, taking another bite of her salad.
"What?" Renee sputters some more words after the initial question. But they ignore her. She and Dean have been separated for some time — no one seems to care why but they know — but Renee still thinks he should be considered off limits to everyone else. Roman hasn't told her that Dean has been hooking up with other women since the break up.
"Yeah, what?" Nikki chuckles, closing the lid back onto her salad, placing her fork on the top of the dish.
Paige opens her mouth but closes it again — simply nodding at Alicia in agreeance with the suggestion. Brie looks confused, like she knows she should be guarding her friends broken heart but she can't find her voice in time. Nikki is the type to not really care — it's been months since Dean has officially reentered the market. And she considers him a friend — which, in their line of work, simply means they know the same people.
"I mean, he does crazy shit like that. Right? That's his thing?" Alicia asks, talking with her hands.
"The craziest thing about Dean?" Renee finds her voice, but it's thick, and heavy. "He lives in Las Vegas." She smiles reminiscently. "The guy sings random things on car rides and likes the British accent his GPS is set on. He's pretty vanilla." She smiles.
"Then he's perfe'." Paige shrugs. Nikki bites her lip and Paige shoulder checks the older woman. "Plain and simple so your family doesn't question it."
"Speak of the devil." Brie mutters and they get quiet. He's there, laughing at something Roman and Randy are talking about. The three men grab a table and immediately look aggravatingly calm around each other. Nikki always thought that much testosterone would result in random fist fights and bloodshed.
She's walking toward them before she can stop herself. Roman and Randy greet her but he doesn't. Dean is staring at her like she's lost and he's confused. They don't normally talk to each other. Sure they had always been cordial but he's closer to Brie because of Renee — who had conveniently needed to pee after Nikki got up and left their table.
He's always been attracted to her take no shit attitude.
"I need this tiny favor." Nikki winces, her faces scrunches in anticipation of his reaction. But he just stares at her.
"Uh oh." Roman mutters, biting into an apple. Randy laughs beside him. Nikki cuts her eyes at them.
"What is it?" Dean smiles, his dimples deep and Nikki thinks he's too adorable for a man his age.
"Go go to a wedding with me?" The words are out there now and during his long pause she wonders if he's heard her. Roman and Randy are both eating and watching the situation unfold — pretending they don't want to laugh. Nikki kicks Randy beneath the table because he looks as if he's about to choke to death.
"Uh, me?" Dean asks, sitting back and throwing his arm behind her chair. He's far too relaxed for someone who's asking seriously.
"Mhm." Nikki nods, crossing her arms. She shifts her body to face his, her eyes narrowed. "I need a plus-one." He won't read too much into now — she hopes.
"Take a diva." He teases. He knows the deal. Everyone's been talking about her little dilemma and honestly he's offended that she's taken so long to ask him. She rolls her eyes at him but grabs a hold of his thigh.
"Please," she whines. She's desperate here and it's like bile in her throat. "You don't even have to wear a suit. It's a beach thing. And it's in the same city of as RAW so you don't even have to-"
He laughs. And she can't help but smile in relief.
On the day of the wedding, she's pacing the hotel hallway waiting for him. And when she sees him, she's taken aback.
"When I said you didn't have to wear a suit, I didn't mean you should wear this." Nikki wants to be mad at his attire. She really does, but she's smiling like an idiot. He's in men's linen pants and a soft cotton shirt that of course would be ridiculous on someone else but he looks annoyingly good. She looks down at his feet and obviously he's got on those sandals that dads wear to amusement parks.
"I look great." He grins. "I cut my hair for this too by the way." And she notices after he's pointed it out. It's that adorable boyish cut from his shield days and she's tempted to scuff up his bangs and run her fingers through the short sides. She's so caught up in looking at him that she doesn't realize that he's staring at her. "You look-" he clears his throat because this the part where he usually says something Roman's mom would smack him for, "You look very pretty."
Her long chiffon dress is an off white flowy thing with cut outs that expose her hips and there's a slit up the side. It's very Greek looking and she's had it forever. It's casual — for her anyway — on purpose. Because she knows there's tension between her and her family right now, but she's a glutton for self-punishment so she's going to the wedding anyway. Her hair is pulled back, half up and half down and her makeup is subtle. He can't tell she's wearing any.
She's blushing at his compliment because it's been a long time since her beauty has stunned someone. John was just used to her, immune to it. She shakes her head and tries to pretend she didn't just get terribly emotional. Dean can see it on her face the moment it happens and he feels really bad and awkward. He does the first thing that comes to mind — he draws her close and wraps his arms around her — never mind the onlookers. And he's feeling it too so naturally he kisses the side of her face.
They're walking together, still quiet. But he's holding her hand as they walk, watching her as she watches her phone. The hotel they're at is right on the beach, he can see the whole set up from where they are across the street. "I could let you get hit by car right now. It's rude to ignore your date." He jokes, yanking her hand playfully. She looks up, panicked because she thinks they're actually in the street.
"You ass!" She smacks her hand to his chest. He laughs and her hand has settled there. She wants to argue that they aren't on a date, but it would be redundant because one) it is a date and two) she hasn't been on a date in about a year. His skin is warm and she leaves her hand over his heart as they wait by the cross walk. If they're recognized, no one has approached them yet and she's grateful because no matter how annoying her and Brie's baby brother is, his soon to be wife deserves a day that's all about her.
"So, you guys got something against churches?" Dean asks, half seriously.
"Are you complaining?" She throws back, a smirk on her lips. It's true that the last two family weddings weren't in actual churches, but she figures that it's just because who has a church wedding these days?
The corners of his lips turn downward and he shakes his head. "Nope."
"Oh god, finally!" Brie's running toward them, her feet kicking up sand. She's in a spaghetti strap thing Vanessa - the bride to be - picked out for the bridesmaids. And her hair is straight, down her back, with a halo of lillies on her head. Dean makes a mental note— Nikki wasn't in the wedding party but Brie was. She's hugging Nikki and then Dean — he looks shocked and a little confused by it. He swore she'd be mad at him for breaking up with her friend. "You two look cute." She says, noting the hand holding and matching outfits.
"We didn't plan to match. And I'm not sure if he was being entirely serious when he picked out that outfit." Nikki muses, giggling. She narrows her eyes at him. They've got this playful thing going on and she doesn't want to ruin it.
He holds his hand to his chest, "I was entirely serious, thank you!" He was lying. But the twins figured that was okay. Because honestly, he could have come in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt and he would have looked good.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Brie says, her smile unwavering as she looked back at Nikki, "JJ decided last minute that you are supposed to sit in the fourth row."
"And?" Nikki asks, confused. "Wait-"
"I think he's still thinking you're alone today." Brie shrugs but starts heading to the set up where the ceremony is going to take place.
"Is she alway so, upbeat?" Dean asks, "I don't think I've ever had a conversation with her where she wasn't so-"
"In your face?" Nikki laughs, nodding. "That's just Brie for you. We couldn't both be as amazing as I am, then we'd both be under appreciated. C'mon." She says, pulling him along with her.
He notices that she walks with her head down now — ever since she and Cena broke up, she's got this sadness that follows her around wherever she goes. He's never been one to ask people their business because one) he usually doesn't care and two) he doesn't need to know everything, but he's almost certain she wasn't always as glum as she's trying to pretend she's not. He sees right through her. He decides that he's going to change that.
No one has approached her yet, and after the first few people have passed her by, he's almost certain that this is the first time she's been to a family gathering without John. She's trying to hold back tears. He panics for a second because he's terrible with anyone crying, muchless a woman. Thinking quickly and maybe unclearly, he moves. He leans over and wipes her eyes, kissing her cheek, "Don't tell me you're one of those girls who cries at weddings."
Smiling, she sniffles and looks at him. "And if I am?" She's grateful that he's not going to bring up the big elephant and ask her about the break up, because lord knows she won't be able to talk it out properly.
"I'm leaving." He concludes, looking far too cute for his own good as he crosses his arms and looks straight ahead.
"Shut up." She laughs, her hands finding his bicep. He looks at her and smiles, his dimples on display. "You're cute." She mutters, suddenly mortified.
"Not as cute as you." She lights up at his compliment because he's so nice. And not what she expected him to be like in this situation. She feels like such a teenager. She's an adult. She is not cute. But dammit, she'd accept cute if he's saying it.
She's fucked.
He shrugs.
When the wedding ceremony starts, Dean realizes that her brother doesn't like him. JJ has been staring daggers at him and Nikki since he's been standing there waiting for the woman he's about to marry. But Dean doesn't care at all. For chrissakes, Nikki looks like she about to break any second and there JJ is, acting as if she's committing some sort of crime for holding another man's hand. Dean stares right back at JJ as he kisses her cheek and tucks her flyaway hairs behind her ear. He should be concerned about what it looks like, but he's not going to be.
He wouldn't be able to tell anyone the exact moment he realized he liked Nikki but he figures that it doesn't matter. Her hand fits perfectly in his and she smells like lavender. She's funny, and perfectly good at settling right in with his nonsense and keeping him on his toes. And if she was a little damaged, that's okay because so is he — a little. And he likes her. A lot. And he's trying really hard to not cause a scene because from what Brie and Nikki have told him, Vanessa is really sweet and deserves a wedding that goes smoothly. But JJ is pushing it.
Dean wouldn't be himself if he didn't do something ill advised.
He throws his arm behind the back of Nikki's chair and pulls her closer to him because he can see the glassiness of her tears threatening to fall. He presses his face into her neck and tickles his stubbly cheeks against her skin. She laughs, out loud. And keeps laughing, despite the fact that they're distracting from the wedding happening around them. JJ was in the middle of his vows. "Do you mind!" He hisses from the podium. But his shirt his blowing in the wind and he looks as if he's fighting to stay upright so Dean only snorts and pulls Nikki closer.
She sighs happily and as she hugs the man next to her. A thank you dies on her lips when he simply looks at her and winks.
"Coco," her niece Lily looks up at her when they're walking in the sand, "Coco, are you getting married next?" The 5 year old smiles at her sweetly. "Are you gonna have a baby soon?" She asks, thinking it's perfectly normal to have babies before marriage. Her parents just got married today so, in her mind, Nikki is due for a baby and a husband.
Nikki sputters as she picks she little girl up and settles her on her hip. "No Lill." She brushes her brown hair from her face and kisses the little girl's cheek.
"But you like Dean right?" Lilly asks.
"Mhm." Nikki smiles.
She doesn't really know when she decided that she likes him. But he's been really sweet to her when he doesn't have to be. He's actually disappeared somewhere talking to the men in her family when he could have decided that today is too much for him. But he was trying to make her smile and laugh for the past 3 hours. He'd kissed her cheek more than she could count and she was more than a little grateful that he hasn't been prodding her for answers. And he's cute. And nice. And he smells like comfort and trouble. Nikki would be happy to forget everything else.
"Okay!" Lilly wiggles free and is running off before Nikki can really figure out what's happening. But soon Dean is handing her and beer and he's sipping from his bottle too.
"Corona was all there was." He shrugs. "I figured it could be worse." He leans on the post of the cabana after he decides it's sturdy enough.
"Having fun?" She asks him, taking a gulp from the bottle he'd handed her.
"Your dad and some cousins have threatened my life so I'd say I'm practically family already. But your mom — did you know she's a Laurinaitis now?" He asked, looking confused. "That had me fucked up for a few seconds."
Nikki snorts, throwing her head back as she laughed, "Yes. I did know that. I happened to be there at the wedding."
Dean smiles at her and takes her beer bottle from her, setting the drinks in the sand. "We're dancing. I'm gonna do it terribly and you will like it."
"Okay." Nikki laughs, letting him lead her to where other couples are dancing.
"This was thought out too much." Dean muses, looking down at the ground, referring to the dance floor. "Who puts down flooring on the beach?"
"Vanessa." Nikki tells him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She presses her cheek to his chest, closing her eyes as they swayed to a slow song she didn't know. She can feel people watching them, but she doesn't say anything. The floor is crowded and she's just happy that she's not a wrestler when she's around family. In that moment, she is just a regular woman whose heart is broken — trying to pretend she's okay.
They get through a few songs before she hears some excited screaming and she's being yanked from Dean's embrace. It's her grandmother, saying something in Italian and wiping tears from her eyes.
"Nona, what's wrong?" Nikki asks, concerned. But her mother's mother just hugs her and kisses her face. She hugs Dean and thanks him before she's too emotional and walks off.
Nikki and Dean stand there on the dance floor, both staring at each other. They realize they've been the only ones on it for the longest time. She doesn't feel like dancing anymore.
They're at the bar counter, eating when Nikki's cousin Sheri is hugging her, "Congratulations!" She squeals. She's gone before Nikki can ask what's happening.
Her mother is actually the one to stomp over, upset. "You couldn't just let your brother have one day! Could you?!" Kathy yells, stunning everyone silent.
Dean is stunned more than he is used to being. He doesn't handle real world confrontation well, it usually ends with someone hurt and he's hard pressed to cause a scene at a family function he wasn't even supposed to be at.
"What are you talking about?" Nikki sighs, engaging in the conversation. "I've been ignoring the glares you and everyone else have been giving me and Dean all night."
"Who're you trying to kid?" Kathy asks, her hands on her hips. "First, you bring him, and then you distract people during the ceremony."
"Don't insult him." Nikki defends Dean and he reaches out across the counter to give her hand a squeeze to reassure her. He's not insulted. He's used to these reactions. Nikki stares at her mother. "I don't even know what I did to get this reaction -"
"You're marrying this man? All of a sudden you've got a fiancé and you bring him to your brother's wedding! And what is this nonsense I hear you two are having a baby?!"
"Wait, what?" Dean finally speaks. He's thoroughly confused. Nikki is wide eyed. And finally all the hugs and looks make sense. Everyone thinks they're getting married and have a baby on the way.
"Mom." Brie is over by them in a flash, the only other person who knows the truth. "Mom that's enough."
"No," Kathy snaps, shrugging Brie off, looking back at Nikki, "I'm disappointed in you. You're selfish. You knew this would happen if you showed up. Why are you here if you can't let someone else have attention for one day?"
"Mom!" Brie yells, but it's too late for Nikki to unhear anything. Her twin is running away before they can even grab her.
"What are you looking at?" Kathy snaps at Dean.
"Not sure to be honest." Dean turns his chair to her, shaking his head. "I don't know if you know this or not, but your son has some sort of thing against your daughter. And from what I can see, she's trying really hard to figure out what it is without being mad about it. And yeah, I'm a stranger, but I think I know your daughter enough to know that if she didn't care, she wouldn't have come here tonight." He stands and sticks his hands in his pockets. He doesn't dignify the story that he's fathering her grandson because it's a laughable situation. And he didn't have the patience.. "Now, I gotta go make sure she's okay."
And she wasn't. She was not okay. She was far from it. She sat at the end of a dock, her feet dangling off the edge above the water. Her face in her hands as she tried to collect herself. She hates John in that moment. She doesn't know why she's so affected. She told herself she was okay with not getting married or having kids. But just she mention of marriage made her stomach drop. She had given all of it up for John and she still ended up with nothing. She's 32 and newly single, and has nothing to show for it. She hated him.
Dean wordlessly sits next to her. He doesn't touch her. He feels a little guilty because he had been trying to make sure she didn't have to think about what she was going through when maybe they should have talked about it — if for no other reason than making sure she was prepared for this to happen.
She wipes her eyes, "This is so stupid." She sniffles, wiping her eyes again but with a little less commitment. She feels like she shouldn't have even showed up. It was a stupid pride thing that made her ask him to be her date and she was paying for it.
"Your brother set you up." Dean offers. He doesn't know how exactly, but he's pretty sure JJ had her mother believing some odd story and then somehow she was engaged and pregnant — it was one big cluster fuck of confusion.
"I'm sorry," Nikki sighs, trying to act like her feelings weren't hurt and she wasn't dying to get up and run away. "You probably came to have a good time and now I'm sitting here crying because my family's a mess."
"Eh," he shrugs, "I mean, I didn't think I'd meet them yet. But I'd say this is good. We are getting married." He nudges her shoulder. "When you're acting crazy later I'll know who to blame."
She rests her head on his shoulder as he leans back on his hands. "We're just skipping all types of steps." She giggles softly.
"Guess so." He says. "But what kind of cheap bastard am I? Not getting you a ring?" He asks, sitting up as he takes her hand. He flicks her finger. "We gotta fix that."
"We do." Nikki nods, wiping residual tears. "Wait, you have to ask me out first."
He stands, shaking his head. "No I don't. We're already engaged, silly. And we've got a kid on the way — waaaay past dating here." He pulls her up and holds her close.
Her head is back, exposing her neck as she laughs at him. "You're so dumb."
"Obviously you like something about me to agree to marry me." He quips.
"You're gonna milk this aren't you?" She smiles at him. He nods, grinning. "Thank you. For everything, I mean."
He shrugs and pulls her closer. He kisses her forehead and she closes her eyes and allows herself to feel better.
They're holding hands and staring at each other like two people in all those cheesy movies do when they're in love.
But this isn't that.
Not yet anyway.