A/N: I've been out of the writing mood for over a month now and I moved in February. This pandemic and stress from working in retail and the stress of moving has been bothering me. But I managed to piece together this one shot to get myself back in the writing spirit for just a moment. It makes me feel better to do this. Enjoy.

OOOOOOOOO

Gabriella entered a bar and saw all the Superstars that had already packed the place for the night after the house show. Most of the Divas and the younger Superstars had headed off to the clubs for the night, but she had chosen to go to this quiet bar to have a few drinks and be alone. It might as well be like that since Seth had been distant with her for a while and said he needed a break for a minute or two.

She moved over to the bar and ordered herself a whiskey before glancing over at the pool tables off hand. Her heart sank when she saw Seth standing there with Becky, his arms around her, showing her how to shoot pool. Gabriella had once been in that position too, but now it looked like someone had replaced her.

Someone new brought a smile to Seth's face.

Someone beautiful brought her lips to his ear and whispered sweet promises to him.

Someone else was called his dream.

And Gabriella was nothing more than a forgotten shadow of his past it looked like. It hurt to feel that way and to see it with her own eyes. But there it was.

They look happy, she thought, frowning as she turned around on her stool and gripped her whiskey. Don't ruin it for them. Don't be that woman.

"Cheers to Seth and all the broken hearts," Gabriella muttered, lifting her glass in a solemn toast. "May they never grow old."

A large hand descended on her glass before she could bring it to her lips and stopped her from drinking it. Gabriella's smokey hazel eyes followed the hand as it plucked up her whiskey and threw it down a Superstar's throat. Rich dark eyes stared into hers as Roman leaned an elbow against the bar and a small frown tugged at his lips.

"Gabi, I'm not letting you drink to that," he said, putting the empty glass down. "You're better than that and he isn't worth it." He gestured at the bartender and ordered a couple more whiskeys. "Drink to something happier. Like your Diva's Championship."

Gabriella pushed back a tendril of her dark chocolate colored hair and leaned her elbows on the counter. "I'll lose it soon though. To her. It's in the storyline." She frowned and looked down at the countertop. "The company wants The Man on top right now. Not the Soaring Senorita. It's loco."

"I'll tell you what's loco," Roman said, bumping his shoulder against hers. "That you think you're less than her. That you think you're less than someone just because they took something you had for a second in time." He shook his head. "Gabi, what is lost to you in a moment, can be replaced with something better. So you lost Seth to Becky? He's an asshole that never treated you right in the first place and you deserve better than him. And even if you do lose the Diva's Championship, you can always get a more important Championship title and hold onto it longer because the WWE Universe loves you a lot more than they love The Man and about half of the other Divas."

Gabriella lifted her drink to her lips. "Yeah, right."

Roman plucked it out of her hands and set it down. "I'll prove it, since you don't believe me, Miss Doubter." He pulled out his phone and pressed some buttons. "Look. You have fan pages all over social media. And look at all the love you get on the videos that the WWE posts for you. And the pictures, your followers, all of your friends. You are loved, Gabi."

Gabi glanced at him and narrowed her dark eyes. "Are you going to let me have a drink tonight or are you going to keep telling me how much I'm loved?"

Roman smirked at her and leaned into her face. "Is it getting through to your head?"

The Diva leaned into him and snapped her teeth. "Don't make me bite you for my drink."

"Gabi…"

"Look, she's not me, Roman," Gabi stated, holding her gaze. "She's beautiful in her own right, but so am I. I have my own qualities and if Seth wants to go off with her and decide that he would like to throw away eight months of me, then fuck him." She poked him in the chest. "I just feel bad for you because he's one of your closest friends."

"That doesn't mean I have to like what he did to you," Roman said, shaking his head. "I told him that I wasn't going to stand for it and then I heard that you and him were taking a break."

Gabriella rolled her eyes again and threw her thumb over her shoulder towards the pool tables. "Does that look like a break to you?"

Roman was silent.

"I'm done with him," Gabriella said, picking up her drink and throwing down her shot of whiskey. "I'm done with her. Tonight starts the path towards a new, free, happy Gabriella Martinez de Lupe." She clicked the heels of her boots together and smiled, her lips dark with deep red lipstick. "Bartender, two more whiskeys."

Roman downed his whiskey in time for the bartender to slide two more whiskey shots their way. "A new, free, happy Gabi," he said with a grin. "And what does this senorita look like?"

Gabriella turned to him and shook her head. "I don't know. Someone not controlled by what a person says I have to be or think. I never told anyone this, but Seth was rather controlling when we were dating. It was never a happy situation and I almost feel sorry for Becky for entering a relationship with him. He's going to use her, abuse her, take away her smile." Gabriella shook her head again. "I got out because I said no too many times and put up a fight. I grew tired, Roman. I have a fiery spirit in me. It gets smothered, but it always comes back with a vengeance. My papa couldn't beat it out of me. My mama fed it the best she could. Now I need to encourage it and find someone to match it or do it by myself."

Roman rolled his shoulder. "I'm sure you'll find someone to match that fiery spirit of yours. Or at least, tame it a little when things get rough."

Gabriella laughed. "Got someone in mind, Big Guy?"

Roman's eyes held hers and Gabriella felt her body grow warm. She had to admit that there had been moments when she had been caught by Roman in a way that she had never been by any other man. He talked to her like she was his equal and helped her whenever she needed a listening ear or gave her little treats for the hell of it. He never forgot her birthday and she never forgot his. They'd been friends ever since she had come over into the main wrestling crew and they occasionally met up for drinks, coffee, lunch dates, movies, parties…She realized how she come to feel for this big Superstar that stood toe to toe with her whenever things got rough for her and she was ready to fight to give up or just fight. He never hurt her – he cared for her.

"To the future," Gabriella purred, holding her drink up to him with a smile on her face. "May it be bright for the two of us and anyone else that is coming to this realization in their own paths."

"I can drink to that," Roman said, clinking his glass against hers.

They threw their shots back and put their glasses down. Roman looked at her again and held her gaze with his, seeing through her emotions and Gabriella brushed back a strand of hair again.

"So…" she began.

He moved forward and pressed his lips to her cheek, close to the corner of her lips and cut her off. Gabriella blinked and watched him as he settled back on his seat, feeling heat in her tanned cheeks. Roman chuckled.

"That's a good color on you," he commented.

"Jerk," she said, pushing at his shoulder with a smile on her lips. She pointed at her mouth. "You missed."

Roman arched an eyebrow. "Oh, did I?"

"Smartass."

"Should I rectify that?" Roman asked, putting his hands on her hips and drawing her to him.

Roman was about to kiss her when Gabriella heard their names being called out in two loud angry bursts. Her brow furrowed as she looked over to see Seth approaching them with a dark look on his face and Becky was trailing behind him, looking confused. Roman moved Gabriella slightly behind him and watched Seth come to a stop mere feet away.

"Gabi, what the hell are you doing?" Seth demanded, hands clenching into fists.

"Um, what does it look like?" Gabriella asked, putting her hands on her hips and sticking her chin out.

"It looked like you were about to kiss my best friend," Seth snapped, glaring at Roman. "How could you? We're on a break only."

"That's not what you told me," Roman said, shaking his head. "You told me you were going with Becky and look where you're at, Seth. Who you're with. Did you really think that Gabi was going to stand around and let you walk all over her like that while you got your shits and giggles out with another woman? She deserves better."

"She deserves what I give her," Seth growled, baring his teeth. "And you better stay the fuck out of this, Roman. None of this is your business."

"The fuck it isn't. Gabi means something to me, you bastard."

"Well, you can't have her if she's with me."

"Good thing I'm not with you then," Gabriella stated with a smirk. She glanced at Roman. "I'm with Roman, Seth."

"What the hell did you just say?" Seth demanded, glaring at her. "We're just on a break, Gabi!"

"What are you talking about, Seth?" Becky asked, looking hurt.

"Shut up, Becky."

"It's over, Seth," Gabriella explained, putting a hand in Roman's and tugging him to his feet. "I'm done being your little toy. I hope you have fun with Becky because you've got to remember, she's not me." She looked up at Roman. "Can we go?"

Roman nodded and pushed past Seth, making sure to send him a dark look. Gabriella lifted her freehand when they were outside and stretched in the cool night air. Her black camisole lifted to reveal her glittering bellybutton ring surrounded by a sun tattoo. Roman walked with her down the street in the direction of the parking lot and she hummed softly.

"Freedom, fire," she said, swinging their hands.

"I like this new confident Gabi," Roman told her with a smile.

"This is me, Roman," Gabriella declared proudly. "This was in my heart all along." She dropped her eyes. "Maybe you were there too."

Roman twirled her towards him when they stopped next to his motorcycle that he'd rented for the hell of it in this city. "Hey."

"Hm?" Gabriella asked, lifting her eyes.

The Superstar captured her lips in a fiery kiss that burned her to the core and flooded her body with heat. Gabriella melted in his arms and leaned into him, craving more of his kiss, that fire that matched hers, that sang with hers until her head swam. Roman slowly pulled back a little and rested his forehead against hers, brushing the tip of his nose against hers. Gabriella took a shaky breath.

"Wow…" she whispered, trembling in his arms.

"Yeah," Roman said, breathing slowly.

"So this is what we're going to do?" Gabriella asked, meeting his gaze. "All of this from now on?"

"Someone's got to match and tame that fire," Roman told her with a smirk. "And I think this Big Dog is up for the challenge."

Gabriella matched his smirk. "Then I've got another challenge for you."

"What's that?"

"Drive me exactly where I tell you tonight and follow me, then you'll see." She traced her hands down from his shoulders to his chest and back up. "I want to be burned."

Roman brushed his lips against hers and pulled her towards the motorcycle, helping her onto the back after him. "Hold on, senorita. This is going to be a fast and bumpy ride."

"That's what she said," Gabriella whispered in his ear as she squeezed her thighs around his hips.

Roman chuckled and sped up. "That's my girl."

OOOOOOOOO

A/N: I have a hard time with things right now, but I'm working on getting better. I'm finally getting happy. And it's a nice change of pace. I think it's a good thing that I moved. And now I can write whenever I want, if I get motivation. Thank you for reading. -Scarlet