Aria's Shield

"It's been two hours." I moaned, rolling over on the bed. "What else have they left to do?"

"Well if you'd let me show you..." I lifted my head and glared at him in response. "I don't bite, you know," He continued, gesturing to the distance I had put between us, "Unless, of course, you're into that."

"I'm glad you're enjoying this." I stood up and walked round the small room.

"What's not to enjoy?" He asked, scanning me with his eyes.

I stopped and picked up his US title, lying on the table. "Wow, it's really heavy." Dean came to my side and helped me hoist it on my shoulder, in the same way that he carried it. "It suits me." He scoffed at this. "What? It could happen!"

"You'd have to beat me first."

"Like I said, it could happen." I tapped the title with my palm. "I miss carrying one of these around."

"Why haven't you?"

"When I lost it, I got injured." I told him. "Although I was still allowed to compete, I had to take it easy, hence why they put me up against Aksana." I rolled my eyes.

"But you're better now?"

"I am and I'm ready to take it back."

"No question about it." Dean replied, watching me with his US title. "Especially with my training."

"You can learn a lot from me too." I pointed out.

"Oh yeah?"

"For example, the chick kick."

"Ah, that's already Roman's finisher."

"Shame." I smirked at him.

"Right?" His hands dropped down to my waist, holding me close. "You suit being a champion."

"I know." I smiled, looking over his champion belt. "Especially the US one." I trailed my finger over it. "I hear you still haven't got an opponent at Night of Champions."

"That's right.

"Well you know, there is an obvious choice..." I flicked my hair. I took the title off my shoulder and handed it to Dean as I went and perched onto the edge of the bed. "Hold onto that."

Without even glancing at his title, he murmured as his eyes remained fixed on me, "I will." It was another one of his riddles that drove me crazy. Was he talking about me or the title? I half smiled at him and turned away, suddenly not enjoying the attention. It was silent for a moment as I tried to search my brain for something to talk about, not wanting things to fizzle out because of awkwardness. However, the topics he chose weren't the ones I wanted to talk about. "What happened with you and Orton?" Dean asked as he lay down next to me.

I froze.

I was taken aback by his question. I didn't know why seeing as I knew one day he was going to ask. I hung my head and avoided making eye contact with him, "It's complicated." I replied softly. That was partly the truth. It was mainly because I didn't like talking about it. I didn't even like thinking about it. It was one of those things that I kept in the dark recesses of my mind, buried deep and tried to never think about. Thinking about it just brought back feelings of regret, embarrassment and shame.

He sat up from his lying down position and put his hand over mine. He didn't say anything, but the movement of his hands told me that he was encouraging me to open up to him. I still felt it was too early to discuss something this personal with him.

The way that he had suddenly asked this out of the blue must've meant it had been playing on his mind. He tried to keep up this wall and pretend that he didn't care - but the way he blurted out that question told me that the curiosity and the unknown was getting to him.

"Why is he so interested in you?" Dean pushed. "He's always going out of his way to find you, asking around where you are, who you're with."

"Dean-" I was about to tell him it was none of his business, that I wasn't ready to talk about it. However, our gazes meant and the look in Dean's eyes told me that I could trust him. I hadn't opened up about it to anyone except Ted, but at this moment I felt comfortable enough to tell Dean.

"Randy was divorcing Sam." I started to tell the story but I went slowly, choosing the words carefully in my head before I said them out loud, "We had been friends for years, nothing more." I could feel his eyes burning on me. "He trained me to wrestle and I had a thing for him. How could I not? He was powerful and gorgeous and I was one of the few divas he gave his time to. I felt special. Of course I didn't do anything about it and I wasn't planning to either, even when it was announced he and Sam were getting divorced." I couldn't look at Dean, instead keeping my eyes firmly in my lap. "One night, we were training and he kissed me." I felt Dean's hands tighten around mine as if he didn't like the idea of another man kissing me. "I was worried that I was only a rebound so I tried not to think too much of it." I shrugged, "But a few weeks passed and he had me convinced it was more than just that." It was painful looking back at a time when I was so hurt, so naive. I didn't feel anything for Randy anymore but it was still hard to remember a situation where you were hurt so badly by someone you thought you could trust. "I thought everything was great, I couldn't have been happier." I sighed as I dug deeper into my memory. "He told me we had to keep it a secret, he told me to tell no one, said that people would get the wrong idea because it was so soon after his divorce... it was exciting. At first." I sighed, "And then one night, I didn't hear from him. I shrugged it off because it was just one night and I had a lot going on too." I ran my hand through my hair and tried not to break as I continued. "But then I didn't hear from him the next night, or the night after that, or the night after that." I closed my eyes as flashbacks hit me of me constantly carrying my phone around, just in case he called. I checked my phone every two seconds, I checked that it was working properly, I just desperately wanted the phone to ring and it be him. I always thought he'd call apologising for not getting back to me. I had no idea what really happened. "I thought it was something I had done, I couldn't understand why he hadn't called." I still hadn't looked at Dean. "Two weeks passed and still nothing. But then Ted came to see me." Dean's hand was still in mine, I couldn't believe how he was just listening to me. He hadn't said a word since I had started, he just listened. "Ted and Randy were good friends from their Legacy days and through Randy, Ted became one of my best friends." I was getting to the most painful bit of the story. "And Ted told me that the night Randy didn't call-" Here it comes. "He had gone to see his daughter and whilst he was in St Louis, he slept with Sam." I finally looked at Dean, he shook his head and I instantly felt stupid for telling him. It made me look like an idiot letting some guy walk all over me like that.

"Well, Randy Orton is a fucking dick."

I was both amazed and happy by his reaction. "I can't argue you with you there." I nervously chuckled.

"Fuck, if I had a girl like you on my arm-" Hearing Dean say this caused all the butterflies to re-stir again in my stomach. It didn't sound like he was judging me at all, he sounded like he actually understood. "Well I wouldn't fuck it up, that's for sure."

"And I haven't dated since." I looked at him uncertainly, wondering how he would take that. "I idolised him... I trusted him... it's just been too difficult to even think about opening myself up like that again."

"How long ago was this?"

"The end of last year." I replied, feeling relieved that Dean knew and accepted it. "He's only just trying to make up for it now."

"Do you still have feelings for him?" My eyes flashed to Dean's. His face was expressionless. It was like he was trying to conceal how much it would hurt him if I still did.

"Not one bit." I said honestly. " I don't... I can't forgive him and that's why I don't want him back in my life. I want to move on and I think I'm finally doing that." I looked away again, afraid that he would think less of me. At that time in my life, I felt so humiliated for being such an idiot, for not seeing what was obvious. I had just waited around, wishing he would come back. Now, however, I knew that I didn't deserve what he put me through. "I can't believe I just told you all that." I shook my head.

"Why not?"

"Because I haven't even told Becky and Charlie." I revealed.

"How come?"

"I was embarrassed."

"What did you have to be embarrassed about?" Dean asked, as if it was the most stupid thing he had ever heard.

"Because I let myself be taken advantage of." I told him. "I chose to like someone like that."

Dean was quiet for a moment as if considering whether he should ask the next question or not. "Why did you tell me?"

My eyes stared straight ahead as I racked my brains for the right response. "I don't know." I answered him truthfully. I wanted to say that it just felt right, but I didn't completely understand it myself, so how could he?

"Aria-" He scooted closer to me, putting his hand on my waist, twisting my body round to face him. I loved the way my name sounded on his lips. I felt safe with Dean, a feeling I hadn't had with Randy. I knew Dean was different. He had never looked at me like that. I was now facing Dean, our knees touching, my hands were at my sides as he pulled me closer by my waist. "It's his fucking loss, ok?" It was nice to see this side of him and that he wasn't always the tough guy he tried to show himself to be. "And my gain."

We didn't say anything more. We just laid down next to each other. It wasn't awkward, it was a comfortable silence. And that's when I knew that Dean Ambrose and I... we had clicked.

After five minutes, his arm wrapped around me. I turned my body so I was curled up against his. Our legs entangled and my head now rested on his chest.

I was cuddling Dean Ambrose...I would never hear the end of this if Becky and Charlie caught me. They wouldn't even let the fact that they caught us holding hands go.

Just being here with Dean, it felt nice. I felt the human comfort, the intimacy that I hadn't felt in a long time and it was only now that I realised how much I had missed it. I missed having this connection with someone. I was scared of it after Randy, I didn't want to make a connection just to lose it. My arm rested over Dean's stomach, he kissed the top of my head a few times which caused me to smile.

I closed my eyes and before I knew it, I was asleep.

In the morning

"I couldn't think of anything worse." I answered Dean's question to why I didn't want to appear on Total Divas. "I was mortified when we made our unintended guest appearance."

We had been up for an hour and we had just been talking. I knew Charlie was probably continuing her little sleepover with Seth, but Becky and Brad would be in our room to let me in. However I found myself not wanting to leave.

"The Bellas, friends of yours?" Dean asked me.

"No." I said sternly. "They take great pleasure in making my life just that little bit more difficult." With it just being Dean and I, loads of questions played on my mind, but each of them I was in constant battle with whether I should ask them or not. "How about you? Are you friends with any of the divas?"

"Nope."

I was happy to hear this, but I tried not to show it. "Me either."

"Is that why you weren't asked to be on Total Divas?" He grinned, teasing me.

"I was asked!" I slapped his thigh, "They'd probably try and get me into trouble on there, making me have an affair with Nattie's boyfriend...or Ariane's, Vincent." I gagged.

Dean laughed, knowing what I was talking about. "That guy bought all our drinks the other night." I assumed by 'our', he meant him, Seth and Roman.

"Maybe he has man crushes on you guys."

"You ought to come out with us."

"Would your friends be ok with that?" I asked him.

"Why wouldn't they be?" I gave him a small shrug in response. "Besides, you'll be with me."

I stared at him, everything he said sounded like it had an alternative meaning. His comment earlier, about how the VIPs were the girlfriends, I mean, what the hell was that?! What the hell did that mean? It was like he talked in these riddles that he expected me to get, but it just made me even more confused to what we were. "What does that mean?" He cocked up a brow like he didn't understand what I meant, so I guess that was a two way street. "Nothing." I said, since asking him if he meant I was his girlfriend would be incredibly humiliating.

"Aria-" He said, his face full of interest. "Go on."

He always knew when I was in fear of saying something.

"Like earlier-" Curiosity got the better of me. "'Only the girlfriends are VIP members.'" I mocked his Ohio accent.

"What do you think it means?"

"I'm asking you." Dean stayed silent, but continued to smirk at me with his mouth closed. He knew it was bugging me that he was staying so damn mysterious. "We haven't put a name on this thing."

I guess that was my subtle way of telling him that I wanted to take the next step. I didn't want this just to be a fling.

The silence I was getting from him was killing me. I didn't need to be messed around with by another guy.

"What do you want from this?" I asked him softly, scared by the answer. I didn't want what was going on between us to end, but it couldn't just continue like this. His silence was deafening. Something inside me panicked and I suddenly didn't want to hear the answer. "I should go." I rose from the bed and tried to get out of the room as quick as possible. I didn't want to face another rejection. I opened the door to get out of Dean's room but he got there first. His hand came on top of mine and pushed against it so the door closed. I turned around slowly to face him. He towered over me so I had to tilt my head up to look at him. He didn't want me to leave, that was a good sign... right?

"What I want-" He said sternly, "-is for you to be mine." He lowered his face to the same level as mine, "I don't want any other guy to touch you. I especially don't want Randy Orton to touch you."

"So what are you going to do about it?" I breathed out. "That would mean we're dating."

"Then we're dating." He said simply.

"And I'm a VIP?" It seemed to be our code word for dating.

"And you're my VIP." He confirmed.

Oh my god.

What had I just done?

I just agreed to be Dean Ambrose's... girlfriend.

Despite his closeness, a moment of silence passed between the two of us. We were both processing what had just happened. The fact that we were now in a relationship. It had changed the entire dynamic of our relationship. "It's been a long time since I've dated, Aria." He said as if warning me.

"How come?" I asked quietly. I asked these kinds of questions, but was always afraid of what the answers would be.

"It's rare that I see a girl worth the trouble." It was a backhanded compliment, but I'd take it. I shyly smiled up at him.

"Welcome back." I pushed my ear against the door, hearing Seth's voice. Great, he was up before I could escape.

"All right, man?" I heard...Roman? "Hey, Charlie." He greeted.

"Hi." I heard her reply timidly. Oh great, she was still here too!

"I thought you said he was out of town!" I couldn't get past both of them!

"Yeah, last night." Dean went to open the door, but I quickly slammed it shut.

"They can't know I was here!"

"Why not?" He shrugged, carelessly.

"Because I'll never hear the end of it!" I searched the room for my gown. "After all the grief I gave Charlie about not giving it away too easily-"

"So you're the one who cock blocked him." Dean grinned, standing up from the bed.

"For good reason." I pointed out.

"Oh yeah?"

"You even said it yourself, you respected that I didn't give into you."

"I would have respected you just as much if you were whimpering underneath me." He purred, coming close me, I pushed him in response as my face flushed.

"You have to get them out of here so I can sneak out."

His head sunk down to my ear and whispered, "I'm your dirty little secret?" Whilst this whole situation was freaking me out, it seemed to be arousing him! He placed small kisses along my jaw side, my eyes slowly shut but the sound of Roman's voice on the other side of the door snapped me out of it.

"You're not, but this is!" I said, pointing to the fact I was in his clothes. "Tonight may have been innocent, but that's not what it's going to look like to them."

"I don't mind that." I glared at him. Come on, man, work with me!

"Just go ask them if they want to go to the gym."

"What about your friend?"

"Just glare at her, she scares easy."

Dean towered back over me, taking me by surprise, causing me to jump back and lean against the door for support, "She's not the only one."

"Go." I opened the door for him.

"What are you doing here?" I easily heard Charlie say thanks to Dean opening the door. I gripped Dean as I recognised the voice.

"Aria didn't come home last night and-" Becky paused mid sentence. And what?! What was her theory?! "Oh, hi there." She purred.

Roman.

I quickly slammed the door, yanking Dean back into the room with me. "She's worried about my welfare and yet she gets distracted by Roman!"

"How are you going to talk your way out of this?" Dean asked, looking far too amused for my liking.

"What do you mean she never came home?" Charlie asked. It was nice to hear the concern in her voice!

"Well, why did you come here?" Seth asked, sounding confused.

Dean opened his mouth to speak, but I shushed him and pressed my ear up against the door to try and hear the rest, but then they all went silent. Dean walked around me and picked my gown off the floor.

"Oh crap, they've figured it out!" I quickly tried to run to Dean's ensuite, but I tripped over the bed.

Luckily Dean caught me.

He supported me in his arms, I looked up at him, "Nice catch."

"Nice trip."

Both our heads snapped in the direction of the door as it opened and there, standing with looks of shock, Seth...Charlie... Becky and Roman... and this could not have looked worse. I was in Dean's t-shirt and shorts, he was topless and I was in his arms. In his bedroom. Dean looked even more amused but I frozen.

Charlie and Becky's looks of shocked turned into grins, along with Roman and Seth who looked proud of their team mate.

How the hell would I explain this away?

"Morning Aria." Becky crossed her arms and continued to smirk annoyingly at me, "Nice night?"

"Well you see..." I looked up at Dean, hoping his mic skills would allow him to a creative a fantastic and believe lie to why I was here in his arms, "Yeah, I've got nothing."

"You saucy little minx." Charlie exclaimed.

"This is not what it looks like."

"Oh, that old chestnut." Becky was enjoying this too much.

"Nice man." Seth reached out his hand to Dean.

I stopped Dean's hand from going out and shaking it, "We didn't sleep together!" I stated firmly. Four unconvinced faces stared back at me, "I mean we slept in the same bed together, but we didn't sleep together."

"Do you guys mind? We were in the middle of something." Dean told them, wrapping an arm around my stomach.

"Let's leave them to it." Roman chuckled, shuffling everyone out of the room. Becky and Charlie both turned and gave me massive thumbs up, grinning their stupid heads off.

I swung Dean's arm off me when we were alone again, "What did you do that for?!"

"It got them to leave, didn't it?"

I buried my head in Dean's chest and groaned. "That could not have gone worse." I ran my hand through my hair, "I guess it's time to face the music." I hesitated before leaving the room, I was hoping Seth and Roman had cleared off so I wouldn't have to do the walk of unjustified shame.

Unfortunately, luck never goes my way.

I could feel their eyes on me as Dean led me to the door, I was almost certain they were all smirking and cheering Dean on. I turned to Dean as we reached the door, finally glancing in his team mate's direction who quickly looked away, having been caught. I saw Charlie and Becky had gone, probably waiting back in my room for all the details.

I felt awkward saying goodbye to Dean, now that we had taken our relationship to a new level. How did we say goodbye? Did we hug? Did we kiss? It made it even worse that we had an audience.

"Be safe, kiddo." Dean warned me, sternly, giving me a jolt of thrill at the use of that nickname again.

"I'm always-" He cocked up a brow, I saw his point. "Yeah, ok."

I could tell he was enjoying my awkwardness with his friends being there, which was evident when he held the door open for me and winked as I left. I finally relaxed when the door closed. I quickly hurried to my room, still in Dean's boxers and shield shirt. Before I could even knock, Becky and Charlie opened the door. They both stood there and clapped, cheering and whopping and waking up the entire corridor. Dean and his teammates could probably hear them. I cringed.

"Please don't!" I groaned, pushing them both in. They both laughed and turned to me with delighted grins.

"Tell us everything!"

"It's about time!"

"I want to take a shower-"

"Brad's in there." Becky dismissed. "You have hours."

She had a point.

"Let me just... change."

"She's right, it'll be hard to deny they had sex whilst dressed in his clothes." Charlie pointed out.

I glared at them, "I hate you."

"We know." Becky shrugged, sending me off with a wave to my room.

Whilst picking out what to wear, I couldn't help but glance at Dean's clothes. They were a reminder of the night we had together. I felt more closer to him than I was before. It made me excited for our next encounter. "We don't have all day!" Becky called.

Both sets of eyes were on me when I came out. I took a seat opposite them and tried to find the words to describe the night. "Let me just make this clear, I did not have sex last night."

"We'll be the judge of that."

"Like I said to you last night, I got locked out." I threw a couch cushion at Becky, "Thanks for deserting me, by the way."

"And you conveniently ended up in Dean's bed?" Becky continued to push.

"Let her talk." Charlie nudged her.

"Thank you, Charlie."

"No problem, slut."

"Hey, I wasn't the one getting it on with Seth in the main room." I said, hoping to get some of the heat off me.

Becky gasped, "Charlie!"

Charlie's face flushed beetroot, "You heard that?"

"Saw some of it too." I shuddered. "I will never look at Seth the same again."

"I am around a bunch of whores." Becky tutted.

"Oh c'mon, you didn't sound so alone last night."

Becky's eyes widened. "What is she talking about?" Charlie asked, turning to Becky.

Looks like we all had something to hide!

"I have no idea." Becky lied.

"You weren't in a bar last night, you were with a guy!"

"Who!?" Charlie practically squealed.

"Err... Roman?"

"He was visiting his daughter." I was more intrigued than ever to find out who this mystery guy was.

"That's the lie we used to explain his whereabouts."

"Why won't you tell us?" Charlie asked her.

"Because there is no guy! Why did Aria sleep with Dean?!"

"Hey, we're not on me anymore!" I argued. "And I did not sleep with him!"

"Well then what was Charlie doing getting it on with Seth?"

"He's my boyfriend!"

"Of like a week!" Becky argued.

"Yeah exactly!" I exclaimed.

"You can't talk! You're not even dating Dean!" Becky pointed the finger at me.

I didn't want this to be the way I tell them that technically, I am now dating Dean. "I didn't sleep with him!"

"Tell it to the judge."

"My head hurts." Charlie moaned, leaning back.

"I never meant to start a war, I just wanted you to let me in!"We all stared at each other for a moment, we could all hear Brad singing his version of Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus from the bathroom. "And instead of using force, I guess I should've let you win!'

That wouldn't help Charlie's headache.

"Brad, shut up!" Becky yelled.

"If you ladies don't like it, you know where the door is." We heard his voice call back.

"Excuse me? This is our room and I so kindly offered you a place to stay, despite the fact that-"

"Get a room already." Charlie muttered. She then looked surprised at herself, as if not meaning for it to be said out loud. Becky's eyes widened and her head snapped towards Charlie.

"What did you say?!"

Charlie looked at me for support, "I'm not getting involved." I held my hands up.

"Don't you ever say I just walked away, I will always want you." Despite his warning, Brad continued to sing loudly from the bathroom.

"Maybe we should go somewhere more...private?" I said, gesturing to the fact that Brad Maddox was in ear shot.

"Good idea, let's go before Miley Cyrus here-" She jerked her thumb in the direction of the bathroom where Brad was, "-starts twerking."

"Lunch on Aria in exchange for our silence." Charlie piped up.

I rolled my eyes, "C'mon." I picked up my bag and we all went to lunch. On the way down, we did pass Damien Sandow who gave me a look of disapproval.

"What was that about?" Charlie asked me.

"Don't ask." I cringed.

Becky decided it would be a great idea to wink at him, "What the hell was that?" Charlie asked once Damien was far enough out of ear shot not to hear. First I turn up at his door half naked, then my friend winks, he's going to think we're his fan club!

"He's not...terrible to look at." She shrugged.

"She dated Brad, are you really surprised?" I pointed out to Charlie.

"He's not that bad!" Becky protested.

"He was singing Miley Cyrus in our bathroom."

"He gave me an unwanted One Direction concert yesterday..."

"He makes it so hard to defend him." Becky shook her head as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

I could just imagine going down for lunch and there would be the Shield, we'd be put on the table next to them or something, but to my relief...or disappointment, they were nowhere in sight. We ordered our food before I started spilling what had happened last night, including Dean...kind of asking me to be his girlfriend.

"Wow, so you two are actually..."

"Yeah." I shrugged shyly. "I guess we are."

"That's going to go down well, the bad boy with the golden girl." Becky pointed out. It was then I realised I hadn't thought of other people's reaction before. I hadn't thought of my friends who the Shield had hurt or even... Randy's reaction. He was so close with Triple H that this could mean trouble for both Dean and I.

"It's not like we're advertising it." I told them. "We're just seeing how things go."

"I can't believe you're dating Dean Ambrose."

It felt weird hearing her say it! "Stop it!"

"But you are!" Charlie teased.

I was... I was dating Dean Ambrose.

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Next chapter:
Smackdown
Aria is on commentary table and a certain superstar comes down and joins her
Aria encounters Ryback and Randy Orton