A/N: Well Bae (Roman) didn't win the titles (didn't expect him to) & Crazy Bae (Dean) got screwed (That upset me even more), but both did amazing along with Traitor Bae (Seth) at MITB! And then you got main bae slaying ovaries and shit last night on Raw with his new sexy gear. I can't handle Roman Reigns anymore y'all. This man is perfection. Anywhoo, thanks for the love and enjoy the new chapter.
Alexandria briskly walked down the hallway, her brown ballet flats clacking on the floor as she carried a plate of fruit. She glanced behind her shoulder, making sure that Wade hadn't followed her out of the cafeteria. She shook her head as she thought about how the wrestler appeared in catering as she was trying to enjoy a quick bite to eat before the show began later that night, his eyes immediately zeroing in on her. Clearly he was still upset at her ruining his pants that night at the club and dipping off quickly. If Cameron's information about the English wrestler being a certified ladies' man was true that would mean that he didn't handle rejection easily and was used to getting his way with any woman he laid eyes on. However, Alexandria was the exception to the rule.
Because her own eyes were fixated on a certain Dean Ambrose.
A lazy grin appeared on Alexandria's face as thoughts of Dean filled her mind. It had been a little over a month since the two of them started seeing each other and she was happy that she decided to make that leap. Her palms would start to sweat whenever she was near him as if she was a young girl with a crush on an older boy. Dean was everything that she wasn't used to dating: dangerous, cocky, and cynical.
Traits that should've turned her off but did nothing but intensify the attraction she had for him.
As Alexandria became lost in her thoughts, she rounded the corner heading for Alyssa's work area to have a quick visit with her cousin before she became bombarded with work. A quiet yelp escaped from Alexandria's lips as a hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her inside one of the empty rooms backstage, some of her fruit falling to the floor. Fear paralyzed her body temporarily, her mind instantly trying to concoct a plan to get out of harm's way as the light flipped on illuminating the room, allowing her to see the person that snatched her out the corridor.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she exclaimed, hitting her so called abductor in the chest making the man laugh.
Amusement danced in Dean's greyish blue eyes as he plucked Alexandria's plate from her grasp, sitting it on the table next to the door. He grabbed her by her wrists gently and pulled her body into his.
"Hello to you too doll face," Dean rasped before his lips descended on hers.
Alexandria's irritation slowly melted away the moment Dean's lips pressed against hers. She slightly parted her mouth as Dean pulled her top lip into his own mouth with his teeth, sucking on the plump flesh causing Alexandria's nails to dig into his t-shirt covered biceps to steady herself. She slowly pushed her tongue into his mouth, softly whimpering as she tasted the minty flavored of the gum he chewed to eliminate the taste of the cigarettes he smoked before shows. Her heart started to pound in her chest as Dean's large hands fell from her wrists and landed on her hips, pushing her backwards making her back crash against the door with a soft thud. A few seconds later, Dean pulled away slightly, resting his forehead against Alexandria's, his breathing shallow.
"You scared the shit outta me," Alexandria mumbled breathlessly.
"Sorry. I just wanted to see you. Haven't seen you since Saturday," Dean replied.
Alexandria nodded goofily, thinking back to the secret quality time the two of them shared Saturday night in Dean's room after the house show. It was the perfect time for the two of them to sneak off and be alone since a majority of the roster went out for a few drinks. Once Cameron and Naomi left when Alexandria told them she didn't feel like going out because of her menstrual cramps, she high tailed it to Dean's room as if she was sneaking out of her parents' home to go to a house party. While the two of them managed to keep their clothes on throughout the night, they indulged in an intense make out session that made Alexandria's toes curls and lips tingle. There was a tiny fear in her mind that Dean would expect her to go further since he was used to women throwing themselves at him by him being a wrestler. But Dean surprisingly kept his hands away from her most intimate spot, not wanting to force the issue with Alexandria. The fact that Dean was able to make her body lurch with such a strong reaction with just kissing after a short amount of time blew Alexandria's mind but she decided to simply enjoy it instead of second guessing.
"You know this is risky." Alexandria playfully tapped Dean on his nose. "Anybody could catch us."
"Can't help that I like living life on the edge," Dean said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Alexandria shook her head with a tiny smile as she tried to hide her predilection for Dean's bad boy persona. She didn't know whether she should think he was crazy for being so careless or swoon. "I should get going. I was on my way to see Alyssa before you pulled me in here."
"Ok, well before you go I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Oh so there was actually a reason behind you abducting me besides attacking me with your lips?" Alexandria laughed as Dean grinned mischievously. "What is it?"
"I'm tired of only spending time with you in my hotel room. So Thursday, I'm taking you out."
Alexandria's brow rose defiantly. "Just like that? You're not going to ask?"
"Nope, because if I ask I'm giving you a chance to say no. And there's no way I'm accepting no for an answer doll face."
Alexandria cocked her head to side, considering Dean's proposition. She had to admit she would like to spend time with him in public. It was just the move was too risky. That would increase the possibility of somebody seeing them together which couldn't happen, not before Alexandria got a chance to tell Alyssa about her and Dean. She knew she should've told her cousin the moment she kissed the man but she kept the information to herself first wanting to see if their situation would transform into something serious enough for her to share. What if she told Alyssa and then her and Dean didn't work out? That would just create more animosity between the two of them and Alexandria didn't want that. No, this plan was for the best.
Alexandria stared into Dean's steel hued eyes as a sigh fell from her lips, her reluctance to going out in public with him wilting away under his gaze. "Ok. It's a date."
A small smirk spread across Dean's face as he placed another smoldering kiss on Alexandria, groaning at the feel of her pillow soft lips against his. His mouth moved towards her ear as he placed a soft peck on the shell of her ear. "Can't wait," he whispered, causing her body to shiver slightly.
Dean pulled away and opened the door, allowing Alexandria to slip out into the hallway. Once the door closed, she leaned against it, easing her eyes closed as she tried to steady her breathing.
That man was surely going to drive her insane.
"Roman, glad you could meet us on such short notice. How are you doing this evening?"
Roman shook Paul Levesque's hand, a wide smile on his face. He nodded his head as he took a seat in front of his boss's desk. "I'm good. Can't complain."
"And how's Alyssa dealing with the pregnancy? She's due soon right?"
"She's good. We're both just anxious for her to give birth. Patience has never been our strength." Roman chuckled as Paul grinned.
"I understand. But trust me once the baby needs to be changed or fed at all hours of the night and keeping you awake, you'll miss the little bit of normalcy you have. So enjoy this time while you can. And of course if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," Paul told Roman, his tone sincere. Although he was regarded as one of the big bosses backstage and the big, bad HHH on television, he still tried to make sure he remained approachable to the wrestlers in an effort to maintain a comfortable work environment.
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
"Now I'm sure you're probably wondering why I called this meeting. I just wanted to meet with you to discuss your plans for Wrestlemania and the events leading up to the big night. As you know, you're scheduled to face Orton for the title and I just wanted to tell you that our plan is for you to win. Everybody backstage is proud of the improvements you've made in the past few years and we feel that you're ready to take that next step in your career. Congratulations."
Shock spread across Roman's face at Paul's announcement, the wheels in his mind turning. The rumors had been swirling for weeks about the outcome of his match but to finally hear the words leave the boss's lips that he would win the title made everything seem real. At that particular moment, Roman felt like the luckiest man in the world. Not only was he going to finally become the alpha male of the company but he was married to the love of his life and she was pregnant with twins. Things honestly couldn't get any better.
"Wow I honestly have to say that I'm shocked. Thank you for the opportunity Paul I mean it. You've always had faith in my ability and I just wanna let you know I won't let you down."
Paul nodded his head with a smirk, silently patting himself on the back. He was one of the first ones to notice Roman's potential when he was in his developmental days and to see how far he had come since then proved to him that he made the right choice attaching his stamp of approval on the man.
"No problem. I have no doubts that you will not let me down. But that's not the only reason I called you in here."
Before Roman could respond, a loud knock on the door interrupted the conversation between the two men. Once Paul instructed the person on the other side of the door to come in, Roman turned around in his chair, his eyes slightly widening as the last person he would've expected to appear entered the room.
Dean.
"Dean, have a seat. How have you been? How's the knee?"
"It's good. I feel like I'm finally getting back into the swing of things," Dean replied as he eased down into the chair next to Roman, his eyes nervously glancing towards his former best friend. It had been months since the two of them were in such close proximity with each other and Dean wondered exactly what Paul had up his sleeve.
"Well now I'll tell you two why I called this meeting."
Dean and Roman remained silent as they listened to Paul explain a new storyline that the two of them would be working on. They were going to briefly join alliances to fight off Randy and Seth prior to Wrestlemania. This would also set up a feud with Dean and Seth that would also be showcased at Wrestlemania. During the alliance there would be moments that would tease dissension between Roman and Dean as a result of Roman wondering if he could truly trust Dean. After Wrestlemania, Roman and Randy would continue to feud for a couple of more pay per views while Seth and Dean would continue their feud, occasionally teaming with their respective partners. The entire storyline would climax on an episode of Raw where Dean would stab Roman in the back signaling his desire to challenge him for the title. Once everything was said and done, the end result would ultimately be a triple threat match between all three former Shield members for the World Heavyweight title at Summerslam.
After Paul finished describing the plan to both Dean and Roman, he leaned back in his seat, lacing his hands behind his head with a smug expression on his face, satisfied with the idea. "We eventually want you all, Seth included, to become the faces of the WWE moving forward. You three have what it takes to succeed and we feel that it's about time we usher in the new wave of superstars with you all at the forefront of it all. I think this plan would help you all fine tune anything you need to as well. So what do you think?"
Roman slowly turned to look at Dean, an unreadable expression on the man's face, before exhaling. He was thankful that management thought of him as a main event talent and had a long term plan for him once he became champion. But the idea of working so closely with Dean again was something he wasn't looking forward to. In order for the storyline to work and be believable, the two men would have to spend time together strategizing before matches and promos. It would somewhat be similar to how things used to be when they were in the same stable. But things weren't how they used to be back then not when Roman still hadn't gotten over Dean's betrayal.
However, this was his job and in order to succeed in this business, Roman had to learn to put his personal feelings on the back burner so it wouldn't interfere. Despite how he felt about Dean as a person currently, there was no doubt that the man was a hell of a performer, both inside the ring and on the mic. There was no doubt in his mind that the two of them, along with Seth, would be able to create a feud that wrestling fans would talk about for years to come.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Roman finally replied.
Dean's head jerked up in surprise as he looked at Roman, noticing the man's jaw twitching slightly. He clearly wasn't happy with the idea but had no choice but to deal with it. "Yeah, it's a good storyline."
"Look I know you two aren't as close as you used to be for whatever reason. However, this is a big deal and I'm personally putting my ass on the line for this storyline. So learn to put your differences behind you. Do you understand?" Dean and Roman nodded their heads in agreement. "Ok good. Now if you two will excuse me I have to get going to get ready for the show."
Dean and Roman stood up along with Paul and shook his hand before briskly walking out the room. Once they were in the hallway, Roman leaned against the wall in front of the office and eased his eyes closed, silently counting to 10 before he opened his eyes again. Dean stood in front of the door awkwardly, his hands placed in the pockets of his jeans, completely speechless at the moment.
"I guess we'll just wait until we get more details on the storyline before we start strategizing," Roman said quietly.
"I know you're not really excited to be involved in a storyline with me Roman. No need for you to try to hide it."
Roman ran a hand over his slick ponytail, squaring his shoulders. "I'm not going to sit up here and say I'm thrilled. But I'm a professional and I'm trying to show management that I'm willing to work with anybody. So if you're willing to remain focused on the job at hand, then I can do the same. Deal?"
Dean looked down to notice Roman's hand extended for a handshake. He softly bit the corner of his upper lip, several thoughts running through his mind. So much had happened in the time span of 30 minutes and he was still trying to grasp it all. Instead of languishing in lower card hell, management was actually giving him a chance to show what he was capable of doing in the main event as a singles competitor. They saw him as an integral part of WWE's future and weren't merely focused on Roman. That small bit of information made the thought of Dean teaming up with Summer Rae to ruin Roman's relationship because of his own jealously a harder pill to swallow. But now wasn't the time to dwell on the past. After months of wallowing in his self imposed depression, wondering if he was going to be able to overcome all the obstacles that were thrown his way, Dean finally had something to look forward to.
"Deal." Dean shook Roman's hand firmly.
Roman nodded his head before turning on his heel to walk away, his mind wandering if he would be able to emotionally handle working with Dean after everything that happened between the two of them.
Alexandria applied a thin layer of gloss to her lips before she slipped the tube into her purse with shaky hands. She sighed and started to pace in the small living room of her Tampa apartment, nervously glancing at her cell phone. The day of her and Dean's official first date had finally arrived and once again, the Georgia native was a bundle of nerves. Alexandria tried to convince herself that she had nothing to be nervous about. They had already passed the awkward stage of denying their attraction for one another so that would no longer be hanging over their heads. She shouldn't have anything to worry about.
Yet, Alexandria couldn't stop feeling as if she wanted to heave her stomach contents with each passing second.
Alexandria's dating history wasn't very extensive. With the exception of Wesley, she had went out on a few meaningless dates with a few boys when she was younger. But this date with Dean seemed different for some reason although she couldn't exactly determine why.
Alexandria jumped slightly as the sudden knock startled her from her thoughts. She exhaled deeply before she opened the door, her eyes locking onto the intense steely blue eyes of Dean. A shy grin crept onto the corners of Alexandria's lips as Dean wordlessly pulled her closer to him, his hand gripping the back of her neck lightly. A second later their lips touched, igniting an electrical current that zipped through Alexandria's body making her whimper slightly. She dragged her hands through his unruly dishwater blonde curls, gripping tightly to deepen the kiss.
"Are you ready?" Alexandria asked as she pulled away, grabbing her royal blue clutch purse that matched her white ruffle sleeveless blouse and blue pencil skirt she wore. She turned back around to face Dean, amusement dancing in his orbs. "What? You don't like the outfit?"
"Doll face, you look amazing. But I think you may be a little overdressed for our date."
Alexandria's gaze traveled over Dean's attire of a pair of faded jeans, a black t-shirt that hugged his muscular arms, and a pair of sneakers. A frown replaced the sheepish grin that was on her face a few seconds ago. "Oh. I just assumed we would be going to dinner."
"That would've been boring and cliche. So I had something a little bit more interesting in mind."
Alexandria nodded her head, intrigued by the thought of what Dean had planned as she sat her purse back on the table that sat by the door. "So tell me Mr. Ambrose how should I be dressed for this mysterious date you have planned?"
"All you need is a pair of pants you won't mind getting dirty, a t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers."
Alexandria raised her brow inquisitively, a soft giggle escaping her lips. "Ok, just give me a few minutes to change then I'll be ready," she told Dean before disappearing into her bedroom.
A few minutes later, Alexandria walked back into the living room, pulling a Howard sweatshirt over her head. Dean stood up from his seat on her sofa, nodding his head in approval. "That's much better."
"Are you gonna tell me where we are going now?"
"I could. Or I could just make you sweat and wait until we show up at the place."
Alexandria pouted and folded her arms making Dean chuckle. He approached her and wrapped his arms around her small waist, his head lowering and placing soft kisses on her neck, inhaling the clean scent of her perfume. Alexandria moved her head to the other side and released a content sigh, thoroughly enjoying Dean's lips on her skin.
"You're trying to distract me Ambrose," she whispered making Dean smirk against her neck. Alexandria stepped out of his embrace and looked at him expectantly. "Tell me where we're going."
"What would you say if I told you we're going to play paintball?"
Alexandria's quiet giggle filled the room at Dean's question, knowing he was pulling her leg. However when Dean didn't start laughing and looked at Alexandria with a straight face, she stopped. "Wait what, paintball?" she asked, her voice slightly raising. "You're serious aren't you?"
"That I am."
"But I've never played paintball. Shit I don't have anything to protect my hair!" Alexandria whined making Dean chuckle as she grabbed her tresses that she spent over an hour styling nervously. She placed a hand on her hip, tossing a death glare in his direction. "What's so funny?"
"You doll face. I could've taken you to dinner but where's the fun in that? I wanted to do something that would be completely out of your comfort zone, something you aren't used to doing. I've never played paintball either but it looks like it'll be fun. But if you don't feel comfortable then we can find something else to do."
Alexandria sighed as she dragged a hand over her face. She was so used to going to dinners and charity events with Wesley. The two of them rarely did anything active on their dates so Dean was correct in his assumption that this date was completely out of her comfort zone. However, when she lifted her head and looked into Dean's eyes, a hopeful gleam shining in his gaze, her hesitation slowly started to disappear. If anything she should appreciate the fact that Dean was thinking outside the box for their date. Maybe it was time for Alexandria to do something completely out of the ordinary.
"It's fine. We can still go. But you gotta take it easy on me. Georgia girls like me don't play paintball that frequently."
A tiny smirk appeared on Dean's face as he draped his arm over Alexandria's shoulder, pulling her closer to him. He turned his head slightly and pecked her lips, the melon flavor of her gloss landing on his taste buds and making him groan. As he pulled away, Alexandria ran her fingers of her swollen lips as she tried to steady herself on her wobbly legs. The man knew he could kiss and every last one of his drove her insane.
"Let's get going before we're late," Dean said before the two of them walked out of the apartment.
"Just admit it that I won!"
"You did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"If you want to kiss these lips again, you'll finally accept the truth that I beat you fair and square Ambrose."
Dean's hands gripped the steering wheel, quickly peaking at Alexandria who was staring at him from her spot on the passenger seat, awaiting for him to admit defeat. He exhaled deeply and nodded. "Fine you won," he admitted begrudgingly.
Alexandria squealed happily as she wiggled in the passenger seat, laughing when Dean mumbled more curses under his breath. The paintball date was more fun that she thought it would be. At first she was nervous and afraid she would get hurt. But once the two started, a rush of adrenaline coursed through her body and she ended having an amazing time with Dean. Although the date took on more of a competitive nature at Dean's urging, the two couldn't stop laughing and joking with each other. Alexandria felt completely at ease with Dean, allowing the barrier that surrounded her to slowly crumble. It simply amazed her how comfortable she was around Dean after knowing him for only a few months.
The car stopped moving, breaking Alexandria out of her thoughts as she looked at Dean curiously. She bit her lip as he pushed his disheveled curls off his forehead before silently exiting the car and walking towards the trunk. Alexandria's gaze focused on the scene in front of her, her breath getting hitched in her throat at the breathtaking view of Tampa. Once they finished playing paintball, Dean cryptically told her the date wasn't over yet and started driving. Instead of badgering him for details, Alexandria simply sat back in her seat, allowing him to surprise her.
Alexandria stepped out the car to see Dean holding a blanket and a six pack of beer. She grabbed the drinks from Dean so he could spread the blanket across the hood of his car. Once that was done, she took a seat on the hood along with Dean, handing him a bottle of beer before she opened one for herself. She wasn't a beer drinker but she didn't want to appear ungrateful. The two sipped their drinks silently, staring at the city of Tampa below, the moment completely relaxing them.
"I had a lot of fun today," Alexandria whispered as she turned to face Dean. "I wouldn't mind doing that again and beating you again."
"You're going to brag about this forever aren't you?" Dean asked as he finished his beer, groaning when Alexandria nodded her head with a giggle. "Well I'm glad you have fun. I know prissy Georgia women like you would've enjoyed if we went to a fancy restaurant for dinner but I decided to take a chance."
"Trust me I appreciate you taking a chance. You don't seem like a fancy restaurant type man to me and I wouldn't want you to do something that would've made you feel awkward."
A few seconds of silence passed before Alexandria reclined her body, laying her head in Dean's lap and staring up at his face. She smiled as he looked down at her, his eyes locking with hers. She reached out and traced his scruffy beard, loving how rough the stubble felt underneath the tips of her fingers. A shiver rolled down her spine as he dragged his hand through her loose black hair slowly, the pads of his own fingers softly massaging her scalp.
"Tell me something that nobody else knows about you," Dean requested, his voice low and hoarse.
Alexandria gulped nervously. Typically whenever her and Dean were together, she played the supportive role, listening to him vent about the problems he was currently having as a result of him betraying Roman. They barely talked about her, which she liked, because she didn't want to discuss her own fucked up situation. Yet as the two stared at each other, she knew that she had to tell Dean the truth before things between them got more serious.
"I'm a coward," she whispered softly, making Dean's eyebrow quirk. "The reason why I came to Tampa in the first place was because I was running away from my parents and my ex fiancee."
"Ex fiancee?" Dean repeated, his face expressionless as he fought to keep his emotions under control. "Why?"
Alexandria sighed before she started to tell Dean the same story she told Alyssa when she first arrived in Tampa, detailing how she had to get away from Wesley and her parents because they were trying to control her life and take away whatever power she had. She then transitioned to the explanation as to why she was crying the night of the Royal Rumble explaining the voicemail she received from Wesley demanding she return back to Georgia. Dean continued to run his hands through her hair, keeping her calm so her emotions wouldn't spill out and ruin the amazing date the two of them were having. Once she finished, Alexandria exhaled and she turned her head, diverting her stare from Dean's.
"You're probably scared of all my baggage and want to run as far away as you can," she stated with a wry chuckle.
Dean shook his head. "After you've dealt with my issues, I wouldn't even entertain the thought Alex. But doll face, I just have one question. This thing between us, is it because you're lashing out at your parents and want to date somebody that they wouldn't approve of?"
Alexandria's head snapped back towards Dean and she vehemently shook it as Dean stared at her, a twinkle of insecurity emanating from his gaze. "No, that has nothing to do with it. Dean you've made more emotions flow through my body than Wesley has been able to do in the past 3 years. I don't know what this is between us and I'm not sure I want to label it as of yet. But I can't deny the attraction I have towards you. You're completely different from what I'm used to dating yet I can't help but be drawn to you. So whatever is happening between us is not an act of rebellion against what others expect of me. It's simply because I want to date you, I want to kiss you, and I want to build on the connection that we have with each other."
Dean nodded his head, satisfied with Alexandria's answer before his gaze rested on the scenery below. "You know, this is different and new for me."
"What is?"
"I've never been the type to want to open up to a woman and get to know them. Hell I kept to myself most of my life because of my own fucked up past. The old Dean wouldn't have cared if you were using me to rebel against your parents and wouldn't have cared to listen to your problems. But for some reason you're different Alexandria. I don't wanna sound sappy but I wanna get to know everything about you. Your strengths, your flaws, everything. And I wouldn't be opposed to you learning about my past either. I don't know what it is about you or what this is between us, but I'm enjoying it thus far."
"Maybe instead of questioning it and worrying, we should just enjoy our current situation and live in the moment. Just let fate have its way," Alexandria told him softly. "We don't need to have all the answers now but maybe that's the beauty of it all."
Dean peaked down at Alexandria, his lips curling into a smirk as she looked at him with an innocent stare. As if she read his mind, Alexandria arched her back slightly and raised her head as Dean lowered his, treating each other with another kiss. Dean's hand remained tangled in Alexandria's hair, supporting the back of her head as her arms wrapped around his neck, parting her lips slightly to welcome his eager tongue.
They didn't know how things would end up between them, but they both were content with not having the answer right now and simply enjoying each other's company.
A/N: Well Alex told Dean about her past and now Dean is working with Roman again. Why do I have a feeling both will cause issues? Hmmm. Read and Review :-)