Lua Agaga
By: PhoenixJustice
Disclaimer: The wrestlers own themselves, the gimmicks are owned by WWE/NXT. I only own this story and make no profit from this.
Pairing: Bray Wyatt/Roman Reigns, mentions of Dean Ambrose/Seth Rollins, one-sided Bray Wyatt/Dean Ambrose.
Setting: Post-Raw where Roman and Bray team together.
Summary: What was this? Why did it feel this way? Why did it work so well?
Part Five of Unmei.
A/N: The Title means Two Souls in Samoan.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Was Shane McMahon crazy? Roman would have said he was many things before this-and crazy wasn't one of them (at least in this context; he had to be at least a little crazy, considering he wrestled The Undertaker and did stuff like throw himself off the top of the Cell.)
But to put him with Bray Wyatt in a tag match? How would they even be able to be near each other, much less work together?
He gets to the back, doing his best to ignore the fact that Wyatt would have been heading to the back as well, searching for Dean. It at least helped in these times (both with Wyatt now and the total backlash of the fans) to have at least one of his Brothers around him. Seth was still there for him over the phone and that was-just to have Seth back in their lives meant so much. But there was still sometimes no replacement for having a Brother near, to be able to touch them, to look at them as you talked to them.
He had always been an open person with people whom he cared about, but knew that Dean had most certainly not been lucky enough to have a great childhood, and therefor was both unused to-and disliked most-touch. With him-and certainly with Seth-Dean didn't seem to mind, which was great. He would hug his Brother once a day until the end of time, so Dean would learn that he was a person deserving of love.
He finds Dean in an empty locker room (Dean still wasn't the most social person. And that was okay with Roman; right now he didn't want to have to deal with anyone else either.) Dean looks up as he arrives, frowning.
"You saw." Roman says. It wasn't a question.
Dean nods jerkily, annoyance in his gaze. "What the fuck is Shane thinking?" Dean demands. "Like it's all some sort of game to him. Like all that shit with Wyatt hadn't happened for you."
Bray Wyatt. Just the name sets off fire in his veins, making him all but thrum with it. It had been that way since Wyatt had set his eyes on Roman-for whatever reason-all those months ago. It had been brutal ever since, with every fight they had escalating into something deeper...darker even. Bringing Roman's family into it. The nerve of Wyatt-and thinking about the fact that he had to team with him soon-brings him to near seething levels.
A hand on his arm stops him. Dean looks up at him, from where he sat in a folding chair, a different kind of frown on his face now. They had all been around each other (him, Dean, and Seth) for so long, that they could easily read each others' moods pretty well. Except for...except for one time. Only the thought that Seth had done it to protect Dean keeps it from scraping his heart.
"Don't-don't," Dean says roughly. "Don't, Ro."
His brows furrow. "What's wrong, Dean? I know I-yeah I gotta keep my temper in place. But it's-"
Dean shakes his head violently, sending little droplets of water everywhere (he must have recently taken a shower.) He looks agitated, more so than Roman had seen in a long time.
"No." Dean says insistently. "It's Wyatt, don't you see? He always knows how to get into people's heads. You remember how he..." He absently rubs at his arms, looking down. "How he affected me."
"I'll remember that." Roman says seriously. "I'll be ready for whatever he has to throw at me."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
He was ready.
He had been expecting it, anticipating running through his veins.
But...no.
It doesn't happen.
Wyatt never tries to turn against him.
It-He wants to be sick, violently, from it. It shouldn't make sense, but it does.
They work well together.
What was this? Why did it feel this way? Why did it work so well?
No, maybe he was overthinking it. Perhaps Wyatt would wait until after the match.
...it never happens. They fight together. And all he can do is stare at Bray Wyatt in something like wonder.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
He barely makes it to the back, before staggering to a knee against the ground. Thankfully no one was around where he was, so he can actually show a bit of weakness (the crowd during the match hadn't helped any.) He wants to be sick, but nothing comes. Nothing but a rumbling deep inside of himself, a voice which has the gall to whisper that was enjoyable. As if he hadn't fought with Bray Wyatt for months, as if all of that hadn't-
"What do you believe in, Roman?" Bray's voice suddenly asks behind him.
He stiffens, carefully getting up, doing his best to show no weakness, nothing on his face (except perhaps contempt.)
"I believe in this." Roman says steadily, a fist punching into his chest.
Bray laughs softly. He walks forward, getting into Roman's field of vision.
"Oh yes, I can see that." Bray easily agrees. "It's much easier to believe in yourself than it is to believe in others. To believe that other things can be possible."
Roman frowns. "I believe in others, Wyatt. I just don't believe in you." Roman says pointedly.
Was that...a flinch on Wyatt's face? Surely not.
"I did not want to admit to myself," Bray continues. "What this could mean for me."
"What the hell are you talking about, Wya-" Roman stops as Bray comes to stand in front of him, eyes bright. His hands touch the sides of Roman's face, knocking the breath out of him. The fire in him returns once more.
"You know, Roman." Bray insists, hands a brand on Roman's skin.
He shakes his head violently, trying to pull himself away from Bray.
"No." Roman says fiercely. "No, I do not. Just-leave me alone, Wyatt."
He starts to say something else, but stops at the look in Wyatt's eyes. The light dims and for some reason it knocks the breath out of him.
"You know, Roman." Bray repeats, his voice toneless as he stares at Roman. He shakes his head, looking lost for the first time that Roman can remember. "I didn't want to realize what it meant. That I could feel this way for you. But you know; you have felt it all this time with me."
He shakes. No. No, that could not be it, what it could mean.
"And it leaves me jealous of the other people who are me out there," Bray says, eyes distant for a moment, hand gesturing forward. "Because surely there must be some of them who have had been able to convince you much easier than I."
He doesn't understand all of that, doesn't want to, because for all of Bray Wyatt's apparent ramblings, he often actually did make sense-it was just that Roman never wanted to acknowledge that he understood it. Because that would mean that he would understand Bray Wyatt.
"I don't want to be denied again." Bray says, eyes closing. "Surely rejection is the worst thing in the world. Isn't it, Roman? Especially when I realized that you are lo'u lalolagi, Roman. You know that to be true!"
Lo'u lalolagi...my world. It should have sounded strange, the southern gentleman Bray Wyatt speaking Roman's language, but it didn't. He closes his eyes, nearly jumping when he feels Bray's hands on his face again.
Damnit all. Why did he have to realize this in his heart?
His eyes open and something in them has Bray laughing softly again.
"Toe feiloa'i." Roman rumbles.
I see you
Bray's eyes widen.
In for a penny, in for a pound...
Everything changed...
He wondered if this was how Seth and Dean felt, when first getting together?
He kisses him.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Do you know what Lua Agaga means, Roman?" Bray asks softly.
He nearly says yes, but just as quickly realizes that Bray was not asking Roman about words in Roman's own language and what they meant, but the meaning behind it.
"It's-some of the older people talk about it." Roman says hesitantly. "I never...no one ever took stock in it."
Some of the elders he had spoken to had mentioned things about paaga agaga's, soulmates. To a kid like Roman back then, it was like whatever sure, soulmates. It wasn't a thing he actually believed in; who did? Lua Agaga was even rarer; two souls. It meant someone whom had two soulmates.
Roman didn't need to ask who was the other soulmate to Bray.
And as for...well, there was no doubt that Dean and Seth were just meant for each other; they have revolved around each other since the beginning.
He could not blame Dean for his rejection of Bray.
Just as he could not blame himself, not any longer, for not rejecting Bray.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
He stops as he hears laughter, causing him to stop. But it was not malicious laughter at his expense, but one of happiness. He turns.
It was Sami.
Sami smiles at him, a warm smile that lightens something in him. Friendship; it was something he was not all too familiar with, not in truth, and it made him appreciate it that much more now that he was lucky enough to have it.
"Was it worth the wait?" Sami asks.
He closes his eyes briefly, remembering all that had happened from the past few moments.
Was it worth it? All the heartache, the pain (the pain that ran so, so deep for so long) for what had happened now? Remember instead Roman's face, the wonder on it, instead of the obvious anger and pushing away that Dean did? Remember the soft words from Roman, hesitant at first, but genuine nonetheless, instead of Dean's deliberate harsh words, hateful tone. Remember the taste of Roman's lips, instead of thinking of Dean's over (the non-deserving, ungrateful) Seth Rollins'?
"Yes." He says hoarsely. "Worth everything."
Everything.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A/N: The chapter is deliberately meant to be near identical to the newest Hysteria chapter; it's meant to show a feeling of inevitability, that some things are meant to happen no matter what.
Hysteria will not deal with the soul mate aspect like this series does, but certain things just fit the story, you know? With people like Bray, Undertaker, Kane, etc, supernatural events and the like are to be expected. Bray's comments in this kind of cement that; for me, in my personal headcanon, Bray has awareness of other dimension versions of himself, though how much awareness depends on which Bray from which universe. The one from my Duality series, for instance, has a lot of awareness (hence his remarks to Sami and Kevin in Breathe.)
A/N 2: I've actually had in mind Roman being Bray's other soulmate for awhile now. After it was obvious to me that Dean had a second soulmate (in Seth) I wanted to do the same for Bray. I wanted Bray to be happy as well. And as much as he thought he could find that happiness in Dean, Dean fought that every step of the way, making it obvious that even if Seth wasn't Dean's soulmate in some mystical, mysterious, way, he was still the one that Dean chose, the one that he wanted, and that would never change. (Poor Bray.) Plus I wanted Roman to find someone else as well.
I hope you enjoyed this!
Let me know what you thought!
-PhoenixJustice