Hello again everyone, here's the next part for you all!

This chapter kind of got away from me a bit, but hopefully it isn't too bad. I'll reiterate again, any and all discussion of Roman's suspension is based on current headlines/news/gossip reels/etc, not necessarily my personal opinion, but is just an interpretation of what I think could have maybe happened.

As usual, italics is flashbacks, bold is internal thoughts.

As always, thank you to everyone who has left reviews/liked/subscribed/shared this fic, you have no idea how much I appreciate it! If you have any comments, critiques, or opinions, then please feel free to leave them below!

Enjoy!


"What am I supposed to do, Sami?"

Sami sat cross legged on the end of Roman's bed, regarding the younger man wearily. His elbows were on his knees, his chin propped in one hand as he tapped a random rhythm with his other fingertips.

To be perfectly honest, Sami didn't have a clue.

Roman had his back against the wooden headboard with one long leg stretched out in front of him, his other leg bent towards himself; Roman's arms were wrapped loosely around his shin, his temple pressed against his knee as he gazed at the older Canadian.

This was the quietest that Sami had ever seen Roman, and he'd have been lying to himself if he said that it wasn't just a little bit disconcerting. Tears? Screaming and shouting? Violence? Those things Sami could deal with.

But this loaded silence? Sami felt like he was walking on eggshells, with the threatening explosion looming ever closer the longer he tried to tiptoe around the situation.

Sami hadn't been entirely sure what to expect when he'd allowed himself to be lead into Roman and Dean's hotel room. Despite the friendship that Sami had struck up in recent months with Dean, Roman had been somewhat off limits. Dean had never really discussed his relationship with the older Samoan, and Sami had never seen it as appropriate to pry into what he knew could potentially be uncomfortable territory for the Ohioan.

In short, Roman was more of an enigma than Dean was to Sami, and that was saying something.

But still, any friend or partner of Dean's was a friend of his as well, and Sami had sat there quietly as Roman had tried and failed to explain his side of the story, his words tripping over themselves as his frustration with himself grew more and more.

Sami had heard the whispers backstage, had caught sight of some of the rumour mills and news sites – not that he usually paid much attention to backstage gossip unless it directly involved him – but he knew it would be better to hear it straight from Roman himself.

To his credit, Roman had outright admitted his mistake, his voice even and strong as he admitted failing the mandatory drugs testing before Money in the Bank on account of his own inability to check that all of his medications and supplements were 100% kosher. It was Roman's own fault, his own screw up, and Sami couldn't help but admire Roman's character in not denying or hiding it.

After all, regardless of what the fans or critics thought of Roman, Sami knew that not everyone in the locker room would be as open and honest in these kinds of situations.

Sami had said as much to Roman, and the ghost of a smile that briefly flickered across the younger man's face told Sami that he appreciated it.

The crack in Roman's façade though came when Dean's name left Sami's lips, his eyes glazing over with unshed tears as he stared down at the bedsheet.

Sami wasn't shocked that Roman had known about his suspension before the pay-per-view. Sami wasn't even shocked that Roman had somehow managed to convince the higher-ups and creative into giving Dean the championship over Seth; it was obvious from the reaction that Dean had gotten from the crowd that it was best for business, especially if it meant that it could draw attention away from Roman's suspension.

What had shocked Sami though was the fact that Roman had apparently kept all of this a secret from Dean.

That Roman had clued Dean into the impending shit storm with a goddamn text of all things.

That Dean had found out all of the sordid details from some dodgy sports journalists who instantly ridiculed and undermined his title win.

Dean deserved better than that.

And Sami had bluntly informed Roman of that, his brittle anger shattering at the whisper-soft "I know" he received in response.

God, he'd always thought that Roman was so much stronger than this, the uneffable Samoan badass who protected those he took into his heart with his fists and his life. It was difficult for Sami to reconcile that image of the younger man with the reality sat before him right now.

And if it was difficult for Sami, then god only knew just how bad Dean really had taken it.

Realising that Roman was still waiting on him for some kind of answer, Sami gave a deep sigh, running a hand roughly down his face.

"I don't know, man. I mean, yeah, it sucks that you tripped up and you've got to try and salvage your image and deal with the press on top of it, I get that. And I really do feel sorry for you, because I know you're a good man, Ro. You're a good man, you're honest, and the people appreciate honesty. But, in trying to keep yourself on top as the golden boy, you've used Dean as your shield – no pun intended – and it's blown up in your face."

"But Dean know I wouldn't hurt him deliberately."

"It's not the same."

"He knows that I love him."

"Not. The. Same."

Sami ground his teeth together, his words harsh as he spat them out. Roman's narrow glare had quickly dissipated, the younger man flinching under the weight of Sami's tone, but Sami knew that he couldn't go easy on Roman right now. A little bit of tough love was always a good first step on the ladder towards understanding.

"What Dean knows and what he's feeling right about now are two very different things, and I know you know that. This is not the first time that Dean's emotions will have gotten the better of him, and it most certainly won't be the last; you know him better than anyone else on this goddamn planet, and yet you still can't see when he's suffering right in front of you."

Roman's shoulders drew up tight, his jaw squaring off as his hackles raised.

"What do you mean by that, Zayn, huh?"

Sami bit down hard on his bottom lip; he'd said too much.

"Sami," Roman's words were not quite as vitriolic as previously, "What are you not telling me?"

Sami could taste the faint coppery tang of blood on his tongue, letting his eyes slip shut for the briefest moment before he straightened up, his gaze fixed on a spot just above Roman's shoulder.

He'd promised Dean that he would never tell Roman about Wrestlemania.

He'd promised Dean that he would never tell Roman about what happened in the days following that night.

But, as Sami felt his heart sink in his chest, he knew that Roman wouldn't let go until he'd gotten out of Sami whatever it was that the older Canadian was hiding from him.

"Roman, do you remember the couple of days after Wrestlemania? When Dean was supposed to cut a promo on RAW about his match, but it was moved to Smackdown at the last minute?"

Roman sat up, confusion written clear across his face.

"Yeah, but I don't get what that has to do with now. Dean was just exhausted and banged up, right?"

Sami gave a groan, silently praying for forgiveness as he squeezed his fingernails into his thighs.

"Not quite." Sami winced at the wide eyed stare Roman shot at him.

"I found Dean in one of the arena stairwells when everyone was packing up, and he was in a bad way Ro, like the worst I've ever seen him. He was in hysterics, covered in blood from punching the walls, barely even noticed that I was there. He was shaking so badly that I thought he was having some kind of fit to start with. He was scratching at himself, smacking at himself, it was brutal."

Sami paused, trying to hold back the memories of that night. Of just how broken Dean had looked. Shaking his head with a bitter chuckle, Sami pressed on, pointedly ignoring the man sat opposite him; he couldn't look at Roman right now. He knew that if he did, it would destroy them both.

"He was muttering shit under his breath, calling himself worthless, useless, unneeded, just bad. He was bad, and you were too good for him. He was no longer important because you had the title, you didn't need him anymore, he was weighing you down and polluting your greatness, he was just some scumbag street dog that was going to be put out of its misery because he'd never deserved you, but he loved you and he would do anything for you, and why didn't you love him?"

...Why doesn't he love me?...

...Why is the title more important than me?...

...Why can't he understand?...

...How can I survive without him?...

...Why can't I let him be happy?...

Sami took a deep breath, feeling the tears begin to bud in the corner of his eyes. His hands were shaking, but that was nothing compared to the trembling that had seized Roman. The younger man looked positively ill, his face pale as tears were running down his cheek. Roman's mouth was opening and closing convulsively, as if he was trying to say something but couldn't get the words out; Sami held his hand up, a universal plea to let him continue before he lost all nerve.

"I thought he was drunk to begin with, he just wouldn't stop clawing at himself. I tried to calm him down as much as I could, but nothing was getting through to him. He just kept repeating over and over about how a fuck-up like him didn't deserve a champion like you, about how you'd realise how worthless he was and go back to Seth and abandon him all over again."

Roman just looked stunned.

"I finally managed to drag him back to the hotel; he was scared that you wouldn't want him spoiling your celebrations, so I took him back to mine. He never stopped talking the entire time, never stopped scratching or crying. I got him dragged into bed, but he couldn't sleep, tossing and turning. He must have reckoned that I was asleep because he started whispering…"

…'He always said that we'd do everything together, that nothing could break us apart. We were a team, unbreakable, and then he tossed me aside the second the belt came into the frame'…

…'Am I worth that little? Am I that unimportant to him? Did he ever really love me in the first place, or am I just a convenient bed warmer for Seth?'…

…'I might as well be dead. At least then he wouldn't have to put up with me dragging him down'…

…'Would he even care if I disappeared?'...

"He finally wore himself out at like 6ish? And I knew he was in no condition to do anything that day, so I rang up and told management that Lesnar had done a worse number on him than he first thought. They changed his schedule, I left him a note telling him that management had called and given him the day off to recover. When I came back after tapings, he was still there. Didn't look much better mind you, but he seemed calmer. Apologised for causing me trouble, begged me never to tell you, left it there really. I knew that there was still so much shit he wasn't admitting to me, but what could I do?"

Sami gave a half-hearted shrug, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. The gaze Roman was levelling at him was so intense that Sami almost felt like he was going to crumble into pieces; the younger man looked absolutely distraught.

"Dean never told me… He's never said… He…"

"This is Dean, though, Roman. You know him better than I do, do you think he'd ever come out and admit that he has feelings or emotions like this?"

Roman shrunk visibly, his hair falling across his face like a curtain as he picked at some invisible thread on his pants.

"But I thought he knew me better than that. I thought he knew just how much I love him…"

Sami gave another soft sigh, reaching forward to rest his hand on top of Roman's. It wasn't intrusive or demanding; it was just a friendly touch that served to drain the tension from Roman's shoulders as the younger man stared helplessly at Sami.

"Trust me, Dean knows how much you love him. If anything, it's a tiny iota compared to how much he loves you, but as I said before, there's a huge difference between knowing something and feeling something. Doubly so for Dean. I know that you never meant to hurt him, or cause him to spiral like he has, but at the end of the day, you hid the truth from him. You went behind his back. I know you didn't mean to, but you inadvertently undermined everything he thought he knew about you. Can you blame him for being so upset?"

Roman shook his head.

"And now, you've left him by himself to deal with Seth. And I know that there's a lot of baggage when it comes to the three of you, and I know that Dean can give as good as he gets, but sometimes you just want your best friend and your lover there at the end of a long day to support you and lift you back up. I know that there's phones and Skype and all that, but it's not the same when you just want to hug and kiss everything all better."

Roman looked pensive, his face regaining its colour. Sami wouldn't say that he looked calmer, but he certainly didn't look like he was going to destroy the room in any fits of anger.

It was odd for Sami, to see the play of emotions across Roman's features. Sure, he'd interacted with the man, they'd hung out and talked before, but this felt like the first time that the two of them had sat down together.

This felt like the first time that Roman had let Sami try and understand what was going on in that head of his. It was odd, especially considering just how markedly opposite Roman was to Dean, but then maybe that's why they gelled so well together.

After all, it worked for him and Kevin, so why not for Dean and Roman?

Giving Roman's hand a soft squeeze, Sami uncurled his legs, stretching them out with a series of pops as he swung himself to stand up. He was stopped, however, by Roman's firm grip on his wrist.

"I'm glad Dean has someone like you watching out for him."

Sami gave a bright smile, watching the flicker of warmth that lit up Roman's eyes.

"And I'm glad Dean has you. He really does love you, you know. I'm sure that you can make him understand. You can both get through this."

Sami wasn't expecting to be pulled down into a hug, giving an indignant squeak that quickly turned into a huff of laughter.

"Thank you."

Waiting for Roman to release his hold, Sami made his way across the room; he'd pulled the door half open before he paused, glancing back over his shoulder at Roman.

"Also, for what it's worth, it's going to suck not having you on the road. Think of it as a break, chill out, keep your chin up. You'll bounce back. You're a good man Roman. I know that you'll get over this bump."

Not waiting for Roman's response, Sami let the door close behind him.

He shouldn't have been surprised in the slightest at the sight of Dean leaning against the wall a few metres down the corridor. It was obvious that Dean's mind was elsewhere, his eyes shut and his hands clenched into tight fists by his side. He jumped out of his skin when Sami rested a hand on his shoulder, not that he'd ever admit that of course.

"Just… give him a chance, okay? This is fixable if you both try."

Sami's stomach knotted painfully as Dean's eyes finally met his; they were clouded with agony and uncertainty, glazed with tears and red-rimmed. It reminded Sami too much of Wrestlemania, and he couldn't help himself as he pulled Dean into a tight embrace.

Dean's arms immediately wrapped themselves around Sami's waist, his head burying itself in the curve of Sami's neck as one of Sami's hands came up to cradle the back of Dean's head, toying gently with his sweat-dampened hair.

"And what if we can't fix this?"

Dean's voice was smaller than Sami had ever heard it, and his heart broke in his chest.

"Then you know that me and Kev will always have a couch for you, okay?"

The words were supposed to be flippant, but they were belied by the unsteadiness of Sami's tone, the familiar chuckle watery and edged with more pain than usual. Dean seemed to appreciate it nonetheless, however, relaxing into Sami's arms for a few moments before pulling himself away.

The younger man looked an absolute state, his face stained with tears and anger and betrayal, but there was a determination that flitted across Dean's eyes for a split second before he closed himself off again.

Sami wasn't offended. Instead, he cupped his palm against Dean's cheek and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Dean's forehead. It was a friendly gesture, one that both men shared frequently, and Sami could see the tension bleeding out of Dean as he took comfort in the action, a hollow smile tugging at Dean's facial expressions.

"Thank you."

Both men shared a small nod before Sami finally turned away, walking in the direction that he'd been heading before he'd seen Dean. Pulling his phone out of his back pocket, he swiped his finger across the lock screen, staring fondly at the home screen background for a few moments before he dialled in a familiar number.

"Hey baby, I know I said earlier about going out with the boys, but d'ya think we could maybe just order some room service and a movie?"

…"Of course we can. What's wrong sweetheart, you sound upset?"…

Sami could feel a solitary tear he'd been holding back running down his cheek at the concern in his lover's tone.

"I'll explain later, Kev," Sami breathed out. "I'll explain later."