This pairing has become one of my favorites lately, all thanks to a wonderful fic by JacktheSinister JaketheJust called "Casualty Of Love" It's really good and you guys should go read it if you haven't yet...really you should.

Her amazing story has inspired me somewhat to make my own little story about these two. This was originally supposed to be less than 200 words but I got hit with a muse that just wouldn't shut up... This might be a little sad, sorry about that, but this has been dying to come out for the last couple of days. So I hope you enjoy, see you at the bottom! Oh yeah, excuse my lack of medical knowledge, I kept things really simple where that is concerned. Hope it's not too bad!

For extra effect, listen to Let It Be from Across The Universe soundtrack, gets me everytime...Now on with the show!


Roman sat quietly in the uncomfortable plastic chair next to Cody's hospital bed. It had been a week since the accident and Cody hasn't gotten any better. It was a stab to the heart when Roman got the call from the hospital. He barely heard the words that the lady on the other end said after he was told that his fiancé was in a terrible accident. It was one of his twin cousins who had to take him the hospital because he was in shock and in no condition to drive himself.

Since that day, he had seen Cody go in and out of surgery. He had a broken leg, a broken arm and a couple fractured ribs. All of those however were nothing compared to the swelling of his brain. The doctor had kept him on constant observation with hopes that there would be some more improvement but after the last couple of days, there was nothing.

Roman sat there day after day, the steady sound of his lovers heartbeat echoing throughout the room, praying for a miracle. Praying that he could look into those brilliant blue eyes once more and kiss those soft, pink, pouty lips of his love. As he held tightly onto the young brunette's hand, he prayed for a sign, something, anything that would let him know that Cody would be alright.

It was a few days later when Roman got his sign.

He was once again at Cody's bedside holding tightly onto the smaller hand, his head resting in the crook of his arm. The Samoan man was rubbing his thumb in soft strokes over the back of Cody's hand when he felt it. The light pressure of his fingers being squeezed. At first he thought he was imagining things but it happened again, this time a bit harder.

Roman gently squeezed the smaller hand in his and leaned forward encouraging Cody to open his eyes.

"C'mon baby, I'm right here. Open your eyes," he whispered. Roman could see the struggle on Cody's face as the younger man became more alert. As those gorgeous blue eyes opened, Roman could feel the tears well up in the corner of his eyes. He waited patiently as Cody got used to the brightness in the room and took in his surroundings. When he finally looked in his direction, Cody let out a shaky breath and whispered his name. "Rome." His voice was scratchy and hoarse from days of non use.

"Hey baby," Roman answered with a watery yet overjoyed smile. "You don't know how happy I am that you're awake. I've missed you so much baby." He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Cody's hand.

Through dry cracked lips, Cody tried to speak but his throat was incredibly dry. That was when Roman realized he should get him some water and call for the doctor.

He walked to the nurses station at the end of the hall and let them know that Cody finally woke up. The hustle and bustle that followed was as expected. The doctor didn't expect Cody to wake up anytime soon because he did still have slight swelling on his brain. They ran some tests and after a while, left the two men in the room alone.

Roman was back in the plastic chair but this time it wasn't so uncomfortable.

"I never thought I'd speak to you again," he admitted as he leaned his head on Cody's shoulder. "I don't know what I'd do without you baby, I love you so much."

Cody could feel the hot tears from his fiancé 's eyes seeping through the thin hospital gown. "I love you too Rome, so much." He began to sniffle as his own tears began to well up. "I didn't think I'd see you again. You were the only face that went through my mind when I crashed," he began to get choked up.

"I'm right here baby. I'm not going anywhere," Roman answered. "And when you get out of here, when you heal up, I am going to marry you. We'll push the wedding up, have a smaller ceremony, what ever."

Cody looked at him with a watery smile, a slight feeling of dread creeping up his spine. "I'd marry you now if I could," he said. "But I want you to promise me something Rome."

"Anything, baby, anything," Roman replied.

This was hard for Cody to say but he had too. "If anything happens to me, I need you to promise me that you won't give up on love."

"Cody, wha..." Roman tried to say but he was cut off.

"No! I need you to promise me okay?" Cody asked as tears began to stream down his face. "Please Roman, just promise me."

Tears now freely flowing down both their cheeks, Roman couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I...baby I don't know if I could, but I can promise you that I will try," he said in defeat at the look in his lovers' eyes.

"All I ever wanted for you was to be happy, Rome. And I am so glad that I got to be a part of your happiness," Cody sniffled.

"Baby, stop talking like that. You're going to be okay, you'll see. You're going to be good as new in no time." However Roman wasn't sure who he was trying to convince more, Cody or himself.

"I love you Roman," Cody said.

Roman didn't get to reply as the doctor entered the room once more. They were told that Cody was being taken into surgery to try and relieve a bit more of the pressure on his brain.

This was when the dread settled deeply into the pit of Roman's stomach.

Hours later, Roman sat in the waiting room hands clenched tightly around a cup of coffee, and his twin cousins, Jey and Jimmy, along with Jimmy's wife, at his side. He had called them to let them know that Cody was finally awake but he was being taken into surgery once more. They made the short trip over to the hospital to comfort their cousin.

Now, all they could do was wait on word from the doctor.


When the double doors to the operating rooms opened up and Cody's doctor came out, Roman knew.

The coffee cup dropped out of his hand, its contents spilling across the floor as he buried his head in his hands.

"Mr. Reigns, we tried everything we could but Mr. Rhodes had an aneurysm that burst and we couldn't stop the bleeding. I am so terribly sorry."

There was nothing else left for the doctor to say and he turned and walked away, not able to bear the heart wrenching wails that escaped the large Samoan man.

"No, no, no, no," he repeated over and over. "He can't be gone. No! I have... I have to see him."

Roman shot out of the chair and headed straight for those double doors. Security made to stop him but the doctor held up his hand to hold them off.

"Come with me, Mr. Reigns."

Roman followed with hesitant steps into the quiet operating room. It was cold and sterile and deathly quiet. When he finally looked at the body on the now cleared operating table, he broke down once more.

"Cody, baby, wake up," he cried taking the cold lifeless hand in his. He squeezed, trying to get a reaction, anything. "Baby please, just like you did today, just open your eyes and we can go home, please baby."

He cupped Cody's still face in his hands willing the younger man to come back to him.

"I need you," he said voice cracking as he tried to speak over the lump in his throat. "You can't leave me...please...I have nothing if I don't have you."

He couldn't stem the flow of tears as they streamed down his face. "Please, baby, don't leave me."

Roman cried over the lifeless body of his fiancé for a while until he felt a pair of small warm hands on his shoulders. Looking up he saw Trinity, Jimmy's wife. A fresh wave of tears came as he was pulled into the tight embrace of the young dark-skinned woman. She held onto him as he sank to his knees and cradled him in the most comforting way she knew. She knew that there would never be anyone to replace the young blue-eyed male in Roman's heart.

As Roman's cries turned in to small sobs, he began to regain a bit of his composure. Standing up, he looked at Cody more time. Brushing a few brown hairs off of his forehead, he leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss there and for the last time, he kissed the cold lips of the love of his life, saying goodbye.

"I'll always love you Codes. I know I promised to find love again but you will always have a place in my heart. I love you baby, forever." With that said, he pulled the white sheet up over Cody's head, took a deep breath and left the cold sterile room and the man who will forever hold his heart.

I hope you didn't shed too many tears, cause I got choked up when I got to the end of this one. Thank you all so much for reading! Review and tell me what you thought. I love hearing from you guys ^_^. Til next time!

-Ashley