Notes:

Warnings: angst

Pairing: Joe Anoa'i x Reader

Originally published here: post/169726976891/brother-songfic-roman-reigns-x-reader

NEEDTOBREATHE - Brother

The song used for this SongFic was Brother by NEEDTOBREATHE. Since I'm not allowed to post the lyrics here, please look them up accordingly. :-)

It was raining like hell outside on this dull November day when you were cuddled up in a soft blanket on your favorite chair, a cup of steaming hot coffee in your left hand while you were reading the latest book of your favorite author. You loved days like that where you could just stay in the comfort of your own four walls, blending out the rest of the world, being all to yourself. As you turned the page awaiting a really great passage you heard a soft knock at the front door of your house. You immediately wondered who would willingly go outside during that heavy rain but since you didn't feel like answering the door, you just shrugged it off, pretended to be not at home and kept on reading in your book, hoping that your unknown visitor would just head home thinking that you weren't there. Just as you thought your wish was granted you heard another knocking. More severe and urgent this time. Cursing to yourself you closed your book and placed your coffee on the little table next to your chair before you were tiptoeing to the window in the hope that a car or anything like that would give you a hint of who was interrupting your cozy afternoon.

You crooked an eyebrow as soon as you could see that it was your best friend's car that was parked outside in front of your house. Sighing to yourself you headed for the door, not really minding that you looked anything but representable with your messy hair and your clothes that seemed to be sizes too big for you. As you opened the door you greeted him with „What the hell are you doing…?" Before you immediately stopped mid-sentence as you saw the red eyes and the sad look on his face that clearly told you that he must have had shed some tears before. „Oh my god Joe what happened?", you wanted to know, before opening the door completely and letting your best friend in, who followed your invitation without saying a single word. You had no idea how long he had been standing in the rain before he knocked on your door but judging from his hair and clothes, that were both soaking wet, it must have been some time.

„Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back", you said, sensing that he needed a couple of minutes to himself before he was able to tell you what concerned him so much. He should have been home with his family on one of those rare days that he had off due to his busy schedule and not be standing in front of your door with pain and sadness written all over his face.

As you were heading back to your living room, you could see that Joe had sat down on your couch in the meantime, still looking like a dog that has been beaten by the person he trusted the most. You braced yourself for what was about to come when you placed the coffee you had brewed for him in front of him and hold out to a towel as well as some clothes that would probably fit him and belonged to your brother, that he stored in your house for whenever he came home for a visit as he was working overseas. When Joe looked up at you, you gave him a soft smile, saying: „Here's a towel so you can dry yourself and clothes to change. Can't risk you getting sick and missing your next live events. Oh and some coffee as a comfort beverage that should calm you. Hot with a little bit of sugar just as you like it." He looked at you, taking the towel and the clothes from you, answering with a sad smile on his lips: „You're a true sweetheart Y/N, thank you so much." With that he was heading for your bathroom to get changed while you sat down next to the spot that was now empty but was about to get occupied by Joe again once he would be back.

It didn't take long until he returned looking a little calmer than minutes before when he turned up at your door. As soon as he was sitting down you took his mug, handing it to him, asking: „Do you want to tell me why you're here during a weather where not even a dog should be sent outside?" He gave you another sad smile, taking a sip of his coffee before answering: „To be honest, I didn't know where else I should go. Coming here seemed to be the only option since you're probably the only person I want to see and talk to right now." You were more than just a little bit confused by his words. Of course he was your best friend and you were always happy when you saw him, given that this was not the case too often since he was on the road with WWE most of the year and if he wasn't, he spent most of his time with his family what you could perfectly understand. The only way you actually saw him was when his face was broadcasted during RAW on your television. You looked at him surprised as you wanted to know: „Shouldn't you be home with your family? I mean don't get me wrong, I always love having you over but I know how limited your time is in between work. So you probably shouldn't be here right now but home."

You could see the sadness crawling back fully on his face as he slightly teared up again. No matter what had happened, it must have been really bad. You gave him all the time that he needed and when he finally responded your heart ached for him. He sounded absolutely heartbroken, you had never seen him like that before. „There's actually no home I can head to.", Joe mumbled as tears were dropping down his cheeks. „What do you mean?", you wanted to know afraid of the answer.

„I mean that the home I knew doesn't exist anymore. Neither does my family, my marriage or the happiness I found there.", he gulped, tears clouding his eyes. He noticed the confused look on your face and that you probably wanted to ask what exactly he meant, so Joe just took a deep breath before explaining: „For about a year already things have changed between Galina and I. I mean of course we always had our ups and downs, some times were harder than others, but it was never as bad as throughout the last year. I know how hard she tried to adjust to my lifestyle and how hard she tried to work it out that she was alone at home with the kids for most of the year. And I know that it had always been hard for her living that life. Now it… it just came to a point of no return. She couldn't stand it anymore… she told me that she can't continue like that with me being on the road for the majority of the year, she can't see the kids cry anymore every time I'm leaving for god knows how many weeks. She was feeling left alone with everything, raising the kids, not only being their mother but also replacing their father to a certain degree, having to reassure them that anything was right. When I came home today she needed to talk to me. She told me that she was sorry, that she really tried to make this work but she's at the end of her tether. She met someone that she fell for. And she asked me to sign the divorce papers that were laying on the dining table as it would be the best for her and our kids if they finally had a steady life."

You listened closely as you could hear the pain and despair in his voice with every word he was saying. You felt so terrible for him as you knew how much he loved his wife and his kids and that currently his world was breaking down in front of him. „Why didn't you tell me before? I would have been here to listen to you. I would have been here to help you through it, to maybe work things out." ,you whispered, his pain and sadness feeling like they were your own. Joe gave you a sad smile as he answered: „I know that I could have. And maybe that's exactly what I should have done. But I didn't have the guts to do so Y/N. Saying it out loud, discussing it would have meant accepting it. And I was naive enough to believe that denying the facts that were in front of my eyes would solve my problems, would make them go away."

You scooted over to him, pulling him in a tight embrace as you sensed that having the feeling of not being alone was something he needed more right now than countless words. And you were right as he hugged you back immediately while burying his face in the crook of your neck, breathing in your scent while you were gently massaging his scalp. You could feel the slight trembling of his body and it hurt you more than words could say, seeing your best friend, that always was the embodiment of strength to you, so extremely broken. And as you were sitting there like that with him, silent tears fell on your cheeks as well as you were crying about everything that he had lost with him.

You couldn't tell how long the both of you were sitting there embraced like that. But you knew that he was not only your best friend but also like a brother to you and you would be by his side through the good times and the bad. And no matter how much time he needed to get back up to his feet, you would be there to help him, to figure out how he could get his life back on track and how he eventually could win back the family that he had lost.

You offered him to stay in your home for as long as he needed to what he gladly accepted. As you were handing him a pillow and a blanket for the night, you said: „Joe you know that I'm always there when you need me right? You don't have to go through all of this alone. I'll be by your side and you should know that my home is always open for you. And if it's 3 a.m. and you need to spill your heart I'll be there to listen." He was giving you a grateful smile as he was taking the pillow and the blanket from you. „I know and I'm more than grateful for that. In the darkness that my life has become you are the only light. I don't know what I would do without you, Y/N." With that he leaned down placing a soft kiss on your cheek, making you smile before you said: „Sleep well Joe."

„Sleep well Y/N.", he smiled down at you before you turned around and left the living room, giving him some space to be alone with his thoughts as you knew that he would come and wake you if he needed to talk.