My lovely friend chanelle31 and I were chatting a couple weeks ago about the utter bullshit that was the closing of last month's Survivor Series and she asked me if I'd write an Ambreigns fic about the events after the show ended. And of course, being the Ambreigns loving girl that I am, I eagerly agreed! I hadn't written an Ambreigns fic over a year so I was so glad to write for these precious boys again! (haha Ironically the last Ambreigns fic I did was also a request from Chanelle. XD)
She asked for Dean comforting Roman as he's crying after the end of the PPV, which is what I've provided. I also included Adiran and Tyler as a couple because I adore them as a ship and really wanted to get them in here, especially now that Tyler's officially part of the main roster (although I wish he'd dump Summer Rae).
Disclaimer- Just the usual, I don't own these darling boys and this story in no way reflects their real relationship. (Even though they're 100% wrestling husbands, am I right?)
Roman Reigns lay in the middle of the ring, staring up at the bright arena lights disbelievingly, trying to process everything that had just happened as hot tears spilled down his cheeks.
He was the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Or... he had been until a moment ago.
Finally, after months of chasing the title and being denied at every turn he'd gotten a clear shot at Seth one on one. But then Seth got hurt. Of course he was still mad at Seth, the hurt still lingering from the day he'd betrayed him and Dean, but once upon a time they'd been tag team champions and best friends. No matter how hard he tried, he'd always care about Seth. The news of his injury had been upsetting; even if they weren't friends anymore it really sucked that the younger man would be losing so much time at the height of his career.
Then the tournament to crown a new Champion had been announced and he'd gotten tossed back to the bottom of the pile again because he'd refused to sell his soul to Triple H. But, as always, he hadn't let the new obstacles deter him and he'd fought his way to the last round of the tournament. And then it was just him and Dean.
He and his boyfriend had talked at length when they'd learned that there was a very real possibility that they would end up facing each other for the title in the final match. The Championship was important to both of them but they also didn't want it to come between them and cause tension in their relationship. So they'd talked and after a long conversation they became secure in the knowledge that- no matter which one of them won the title at Survivor Series- they'd be okay.
And now here he was.
He'd pinned his lover to win the title and become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. And Dean had held him close to his chest after the referee had handed him the belt, pressing a kiss into his hair.
"You did it, baby! I'm so proud of you."
With a final squeeze his partner had given him the ring, a huge show of respect as a fellow competitor, and left him to celebrate his massive win with the raucous Atlanta crowd. And he'd been happy; so, so happy.
Until Triple H came out.
Things had happened so fast after the COO had held out his hand to him with a big smile on his face. First he'd Speared the older man (he hadn't been willing to join him two weeks ago and he wasn't going to after all he'd been through since) and when he'd gotten up he was met with a black boot to the face belonging to a certain ginger Irishman.
Sheamus had cashed in his Money in the bank contract and had immediately gone for the pin the second the bell rang but he'd been able to power out of it just in time. He'd gone for a Spear but had ended up running right into a second Brogue Kick.
When he'd come back to awareness it was to Sheamus' music filling the arena and the beginnings of tears welling up in his eyes. He'd had it! He'd finally achieved his dream.
And he'd been kicked off the fucking mountain again.
Dean was pretty sure that he could literally burn a hole through something with his eyes right now because of how pissed off he was.
If you'd caught him about ten minutes ago he would've said he was fine with a bright grin. After all, how could he not be happy that the man he loved had just become WWE World Heavyweight Champion?
Roman had had a rough year what with everything he'd had to deal with from a lot of the fans and what had happened the night of Wrestlemania. So even though he had lost tonight Dean was incredibly proud and happy for his boyfriend. He'd given the man a short hug and a kiss on the head before vacating the ring, doing the respectful thing as confetti began raining down upon them.
The first thing he'd done upon reaching the back was grab a couple of icepacks and found a quiet place in a deserted hallway to ice his ribs- damn, sometimes he forgot how hard Roman could hit. He'd planned on waiting there until his boyfriend came back so that he could give him proper congratulations as his lover but a sudden uprising of noise from within the nearby trainer's room had caught his attention.
What he'd seen was the reason he was currently seething.
In the less than ten minutes he'd been away from a monitor everything had gone to shit. He only caught the tail end of the replay but what he'd seen was enough to get the gist of what had happened.
Roman was laying in the centre of the ring and Triple H was standing over him holding up a smirking Sheamus' hand. Sheamus who was holding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship- Roman's Championship- high above his head.
And Roman... Roman was crying.
Dean had known Roman for almost five years now and had been his lover for two and a half but even he had only seen the big man in tears less than a handful of times.
The first time he'd ever seen tears well up in those beautiful grey eyes had been the night when Seth and Roman had won the Tag Team Championships. He hadn't been out and out bawling or anything but the dark haired man hadn't been able to help a few tears when he talked about how proud his father would be that his first ever championship in WWE was the tag titles. Back then Dean had grinned and hooked an arm over his and Seth's shoulders- his own newly won United States title securely around his waist- and told his boys that it was the beginning of a new chapter for them. That the Shield was gonna take over the place.
The second time he'd witnessed tears from Roman had actually been the day they'd gotten together...
*FLASHBACK*
There had been a lot of tension between him and Roman at the time and one day during one of their near-daily arguments Seth had snapped and locked them in a room at that day's venue just a few hours before RAW.
Over their shouts and banging against the door Seth yelled, "I'm sick of you two fighting all the time. Work it out or else you're gonna be in there all night!"
Locked in by themselves, both boiling with frustration, Roman and Dean charged at each other and began fighting like two kids on a playground. Punches were traded, hair was pulled and insults were flung.
For half an hour this went on until the pair was left standing there panting, a bruise blossoming on Roman's cheek and blood oozing from a cut on Dean's lower lip. Blue and grey eyes met with fierce, burning gazes.
And as though they were two magnets they crashed together again, this time lips sealing together in a fierce kiss. All of their frustration and buried attraction came bursting out, hands scrabbling at any and all exposed skin they could find, and Roman's hands eventually found purchase in Dean's blonde hair as he pressed closer to him. Dean swiftly took control of the kiss, plundering Roman's mouth with his tongue, finding that the older man tasted sweeter than he would have expected.
By the time they pulled apart Roman was flushed and teary from the lack of oxygen and Dean's blonde curls were an even wilder mess than usual thanks to Roman's eager hands. Dean pressed their foreheads together tenderly and gently thumbed the tears that had slipped down Roman's cheeks.
"Man, did kissing me suck that much?"
Roman laughed at the petulant, teasing tone of Dean's gruff voice and pulled him into another kiss by the front of his shirt, this one softer and more affectionate than their first.
"So I think it's safe to say we worked it out, huh?"
Dean grinned mischievously, "I think there's a few more things we could do with workin' out. But those things involve you, me and a bed and a preferably long stretch of time where I can have you all to myself."
Roman blushed, this time for an entirely different reason than he had before, and he found himself sorely wishing that they didn't have RAW in a couple hours. He had a long wait before he could let Dean have his wicked way with him but from the heat and promise in Dean's gaze he could tell it would be worth the wait.
It had taken them almost two and a half years to get to this point; what was another six hours?
Dean pressed another passionate kiss to his lips and smiled happily.
"Hey Seth! Let us out of here will ya?"
There was a pause before Seth's nervous voice queried, "Did you guys work it out?"
Roman smiled softly at Dean and called back, "Yeah Seth, me and Dean are good now."
The blonde snickered, "Better than good, baby."
Just as Seth unlocked and opened the door the new couple kissed again, giving the youngest Shield member a front row view of their lip lock.
The two-tone haired man's eyes widened at the sight and he swiftly flung a hand over his eyes, "Aw gross! C'mon, you guys couldn't have saved that for when I wasn't less than a foot away from your faces?"
Dean chuckled as Roman buried his face in his shoulder to muffle his own laugh, "Did ya get a good look, Sethie?"
Seth groaned, "God I am NOT coming near your room tonight. I can already guess what you'll be up to."
The young man turned to leave the room, knowing that his friends wouldn't be far behind him. Before he got too far into the hallway he called back, "But make sure you go easy on him tonight Dean! We still have the Smackdown tapings tomorrow and I'm not gonna be the one that has to explain why Roman has a limp, got it?"
Dean waved his hand airily as Roman flushed again, "I make no promises."
Seth rolled his eyes but smiled fondly at the new couple; he was happy that his friends had finally realized that all of their problems came from their unresolved sexual tension and had fixed it.
But seriously, he was not going anywhere near their room tonight. He didn't want to be scarred for life!
*END FLASHBACK*
The third time had been the first time that he'd actually seen Roman properly cry, not just shed a few incidental tears. And honestly, before tonight, it had been the one of the most heartbreaking things Dean had ever seen.
It had been the night of Wrestlemania when Seth had cashed in and pinned Roman to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, leaving Roman devastated and in tears.
But the pain he'd felt hadn't come solely from Seth's actions; a large part of it came from the fact that the fans had been so genuinely happy to see him lose. The ire of the fans was something Roman had grown used to during Wrestlemania season, after he won the Royal Rumble, but the blatant display of it that nigh had stung horribly.
In all his years in the wrestling business Dean had never been quite so pissed off at fans as he had been during those months. Roman had constantly been jeered at and insulted just for merely existing. The only comfort Roman had gotten during those months was from Dean's support and the love of the fans who truly believed in him and wanted to see him succeed.
So Roman had pushed past the hurt he'd felt and gotten right back on the horse which had inevitably led them to tonight.
They had fought side by side all these months, through whoever tried to get in their way. Roman had helped him when he had had his shot at Seth, going above and beyond to help him when he had "stolen" the title as The Authority had put it. They had waged war with The Wyatts and had re-established their claim on the territory that had been rightly theirs since 2012. It had only been fitting in their minds that the final fight for WWE's top prize would occur between them. And just when everything had been going so well, here his boyfriend was being tossed back into the dirt by The Authority and their new lapdog.
Dean growled in frustration and viciously tossed the icepacks into a nearby garbage can.
He wanted to grab Sheamus by his stupid Mohawk and beat his smug face in.
He wanted to yank Triple H by his tie and repeatedly bash his face into the nearest wall.
He wanted to rage and scream and destroy everything around him because of the unfairness of it all!
Roman was the kindest, gentlest, strongest, bravest man he'd ever met; why couldn't they just let him be happy for once?
He exhaled shakily and forced his tightly clenched fists to relax. His feelings weren't important right now, what matter was Roman.
Dean ran a hand through his hair and turned down the next hallway to begin searching for his lover. He hoped that when he found Roman he would be able to soothe his hurt heart.
Ten minutes passed and Dean had checked the locker room, the interview area and currently the gorilla but had seen no sign of his boyfriend. Some of the crew members said they remembered seeing the man when he'd asked but none could tell him exactly where, what with the chaos of packing up all of the equipment in the building.
Just as he was about to go off again Tyler Breeze and Adrian Neville happened to walk by and noticed the frustration and slight panic in the Lunatic Fringe's eyes. The pair shared a concerned look and began to approach the man when he let out a heavy sigh.
"Uh... Dean? You okay, man?"
The older man started at the sound of Adrian's voice and he swiftly turned to face them, "I'm lookin' for Roman, have you seen him?"
Adrian smiled apologetically and shook his head making Dean sigh again, prepared for another go around of the building in order to find his MIA boyfriend.
Before he could leave however Tyler spoke up, "I saw him heading towards the back where the keep the empty equipment bins about five minutes ago. Does that help?"
Dean's eyebrows shot up at the smaller blonde's words and he smacked himself in the forehead. How had he been so stupid? In his frantic search he'd forgotten to check the spot that he and Roman frequented for promos or to just get some alone time before or during a show.
He patted the younger man on the shoulder gratefully as he darted past them, now knowing exactly where to find his boyfriend.
The couple watched Dean run off and Tyler frowned a bit, eyebrows drawing together slightly, "I hope Roman's okay..."
Adrian smiled softly at the concerned tone in his boyfriend's voice and drew the blonde against him with an arm around his waist. He kissed him gently, quite pleased with himself when he felt some of the tension leave the gorgeous man's body.
"You're really worried about him, aren't you pretty boy?"
Tyler blushed charmingly at the pet name and huffed softly, "We were tag team partners once upon a time, if you remember. Of course I'm worried about him; he's still my friend after all. What happened to him tonight was total bull."
The Englishman nodded in agreement and tightened his hold on Tyler, "That it was, love. But once Ambrose finds him he'll be alright."
The blonde hummed and leaned into his boyfriend's side as they made their way to the locker room to get ready to leave, trusting that Roman would be in good hands with Dean. He'd go talk to his friend tomorrow and see how he was feeling but for tonight he'd trust their resident Lunatic Fringe to take care of Roman.
Dean was tired and sore.
He'd had two hardcore matches against two powerhouses tonight and ideally he'd be laying in a comfortable hotel bed with Roman in his arms, relaxing his exhausted limbs. But despite his tiredness he ran through the halls, expertly dodging people, until he reached the dark alcove in the deserted equipment area.
He let out a deep sigh of relief when he saw Roman sitting on one of the empty containers, hunched over with his back to Dean. The relief quickly soured though when the sound of soft, upset whimpers escaping his boyfriend reached him.
"Baby..."
Roman inhaled sharply and, while he didn't turn around to face Dean, he watched as a shaky hand came up to wipe at his face hastily.
"D-Dean?"
The blonde joined Roman on top of the container and leaned forward a bit so that he could get a good look at the bigger man's face. He reached up and brushed the long dark locks out of the way to reveal Roman's red face, his eyes and cheeks wet with tears and his lower lip trembling.
Even like this, to Dean he was still the most beautiful man in the world.
"Hey babe."
The pair sat in silence for a few minutes save for Roman's occasional sniffle and Dean was at a loss of what to do. What could he say? His boyfriend had just gotten screwed out of his dream AGAIN; there was nothing he could do or say that would erase that.
But God did he want to erase it more than anything. Anything to spare Roman from the pain and hurt he must be feeling.
So instead he put an arm around those broad shoulders and tugged Roman against him. The older man's breath hitched but in a split second he was clutching at Dean like he was the only thing keeping him tethered to the ground, burying his face into the blonde's bare chest as he started shaking again.
"Roman, I'm so sorry."
Roman let out a sob and Dean felt a few tears hit his skin as his lover began to cry again, "I just- I thought it would different this time, y'know? After Seth got h-hurt and they set the tournament I knew it was gonna be hard. And I... I had to fight you Dean. And I won! I still can't believe it really... I was actually holding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and it was mine. And then the next thing I know Sheamus is there and the title's in his hands."
Dean gently stroked his hair, staying silent, prompting Roman to continue, "I'm... I'm so sorry, Dean."
The blonde's hand froze mid-stroke and he looked down at Roman in shock, "What the hell are you apologizing for?!"
"Maybe- Maybe if it had been you who won then at least one of us would still have the title. Or if I hadn't Speared Triple H then Sheamus wouldn't have come out..."
Dean moved away from Roman enough to take his face between his hands and tilted it up until he was looking directly into red rimmed grey eyes, "Roman do not blame yourself for what happened tonight. You earned that title baby, and even if it had been me who won you know it would have gone down the exact same way. Hunter didn't want either of us as Champion because he knows that we won't be his puppets and this was his only way out of that scenario. You deserve to be Champion; hell you are a Champion. You've always been a champion where it counts; you don't need a belt to prove that."
Roman exhaled heavily and looked at him uncertainly, "You think so?"
"I know so, babe."
He pressed a soft kiss to Roman's lips, "Belt or no belt, it doesn't change a thing. To me you'll always be Roman Reigns: my best friend, my partner in crime and my boyfriend. And I'll always love you, no matter what."
At his words Roman chuckled wetly, "Now you're just stealing my lines."
Dean chuckled and pulled him close again, "Only the good one, sweetheart."
Roman burrowed deeper into Dean's side, soaking in the comfort his lover's warm, firm body brought him. The younger man thumbed at the skin under his eyes, wiping away the last remaining tears lingering on his flushed cheeks. When he was finished he shifted so that they could kiss again, this one longer and slower than the last. Dean poured all his love for Roman into it and Roman reciprocated, kissing Dean back with affection and gratitude.
When they parted again Dean whispered, "We'll get it back. That title's rightfully yours so we're gonna bring it back where it belongs. And I'm gonna be here for you every step of the way, Roman. Believe that."
Roman snorted and Dean couldn't help but snicker himself.
The dark-haired man swatted at his chest lightly and shot Dean an amused smile that warmed him to his core. He could see- underneath the lingering devastation and insecurity- the renewed determination burning in Roman's eyes.
"What did I just say about stealing my lines?"
The blonde laughed, "C'mon it was too good to pass up! It was perfect timing."
Roman rolled his eyes fondly and pulled Dean in for another kiss.
"I love you, Dean."
Dean's grin softened into a genuine, loving smile, "I love you too, baby."
And so the two lovers stood up and began making their way to the locker room to get their stuff and head out to the next town.
Tonight, Dean would push all the negative memories and thoughts out of Roman's head and replace them with deep kisses, soft caresses and fierce love.
Tomorrow they would get up and begin the fight anew, as they always had.
And they both knew that no matter what, they'd always have each other.
There we have it! Thanks so much for reading this, if you enjoyed it let me know! And if you fave or follow it, thanks again! Chanelle, I hope it lived up to your expectations; I expect to hear a full review later! ;P
Let's all wish Roman luck this weekend! Our boy is destined to bring that title home and hey if luck holds out, we'll have a new Lunatic Intercontinental Champion and a couple of Uso Tag Champs to go along with him. :D