Way Down We Go

"So."

"So."

Seth's arms were crossed against his chest but he wasn't looking at her, instead staring at the changing floor numbers. She didn't know whether that was better or worse than his calculating eyes observing her.

"You and Orton friends?"

She nodded. "As much as I hated my brother growing up, we still lived in the same house. He still hung out with people when I was around. Dave, Randy, Shawn, they're all people that I grew up loving. I mean, they beat the shit out of him, why wouldn't I love them?"

Seth nodded quietly, finally gazing at her for a short while. "So you were out catching up with him?"

"Yeah," Kenna said. "Dave was there, too. Almost like Evolution, but better."

He smirked then at her attempt of humour and she clenched her fists behind her back, ducked her head down as the elevator arrived at her level. "I'll, uh… I guess I'll see you on Saturday?"

Seth frowned. "You're not doing any of the Axxess signings?"

"I have a lot to answer for at headquarters for what I've been doing," Kenna shrugged and rubbed the back of her neck. "Hopefully by the time Hall of Fame rolls around on Saturday, I'll actually be employed here. And, uh… no one really wants to see me, anyway."

There was a small smile on his face then. Kenna found relief flooding through her veins and she shrugged at him again, offering a smile back. "Kick their asses on the business side of things and we'll kick their asses in the ring. Sounds like a good partnership, doesn't it?" Seth said, and he finally let the 'open door' button go. "Don't let anything ruin that."

Kenna watched the doors shut and the relief that had been there moments before quickly changed into something similar to panic. Panic, because Seth Rollins was going to figure her out. He was so incredibly smart, so observant, and he was going to catch her one day. He already had.

It was a warning.

She let go of a long breath and straightened out her top. Roman was in her room and she needed to tell him what had just happened. She had no other choice, because if she wanted to keep this working, she had to tell him the truth. Where she'd been, that Seth had seen her. That Randy had almost kissed her. And her heart was in her throat already, because this entire thing was suddenly hinged on a hunch that telling him was better than keeping it a secret from him.

But when she walked into the room, Roman's snores were the only noises that met her ears.

Tomorrow, then, she'd tell him.

Tomorrow.

—

"I want you to come back to Pensacola with me."

It was said sleepily, his mouth pressed against her hair, and she was curled into his chest like there was not a problem in the world. Except… now, there was. And it was a very big one.

"Huh?"

"I want you to come back to Pensacola with me," he repeated lowly, arms tightening a little. "I want you to see my home, I want you to know where I am, what made me."

Her jaw went slack. "Uh…" and she was never used to being lost for words. "I don't— I don't know, Rome…"

The Samoan pulled back and looked down at her, gave a gentle smile. "Not yet, you don't have to. But, eventually."

Kenna nodded. "Eventually, I'd like that as well."

He dropped a kiss on her head. She knew he probably had somewhere to be, and the only place she needed to be was on a plane to Greenwich, and she wasn't in that much of a rush. Being here, being with him— it was nice. It was warm, it was comfortable.

And she was about to ruin that.

"I, uh… you know how I was out drinking with friends last night?" She felt Roman hum his response. "I never told you who they were. And I didn't know how to say it, because… well, because they're them. Randy and Dave. We went for a round of beers and talked about the good old days where they'd beat up Hunter, but… I thought you'd probably wanna know that now instead of finding out about it later. So."

Silence met her ears, and Kenna didn't want to look up at him. "The same as you not telling me about Dean and Seth coming to visit?"

The breath in her lungs stalled. Who— who had told him?!

"Yeah," she murmured. "Same as that."

Roman squeezed her a little and breathed into her hair. "Doesn't bother me. Got angry at Dean when he told me, but was kinda surprised you didn't mention it, and then Seth said somethin' like you not wanting to cause trouble and it clicked. Same with last night. You don't know me enough to know how I'm gonna react to this stuff, I get it."

It wasn't the fact that Roman was being logical— it was the fact that Seth had covered for her. She'd trusted her gut and told Roman the truth and her hunch had played out in the right way. But the fact that Seth Rollins had stuck his neck out for her when he was probably the only person who was more than capable of proving she wasn't trustworthy? That sent her mind reeling. He was a complete wild card, and that scared her beyond words. When would he decide that covering for her was something he didn't want to do anymore? And when would he decide to tell Reigns that she wasn't the person he thought she was?

"That why you don't wanna come back to Pensacola with me?"

Kenna'd been staring intently at his chest in a daze, but snapped from it with his words and tried to smile up at him. "I don't want to go to Pensacola with you because I don't think we're at that place yet. It's early days and I kinda… I just wanna have fun…"

It didn't matter that Roman had just woken up. Or that he was bleary eyed and tired. The moment Kenna fixed him with a sultry gaze, he'd sunk his fingers into her hips and yanked her on top of him, eyes stormy grey and swirling dangerously.

"You wanna have fun?" he murmured, teeth biting onto his lip as he pushed her down into the roll of his hips, and Kenna's jaw dropped. "You don't think spending two days wrapped in my sheets would be fun?" He fisted a large hand in the thin material of her shirt and yanked her forward, mouth barely touching hers and eyes that burned through her own. "You 'fraid I'm gonna fuck you so hard you won't make it to RAW? That your brother's gonna be able to smell me on you and come for my blood?"

Kenna's head was spinning with lust, and there was no doubt she was already wet.

A filthy smirk tilted Roman's lips. "Come back to Pensacola with me, see what happens."

Her gaze lifted from his mouth to his eyes and she was so stolen by how hot he was beneath her that she already knew her mind was about to be changed. "You bribing me with sex, Reigns?"

"Best sex you've ever had in your life," he replied.

Inching her face closer to his, Kenna slid her nose along his stubble until her lips were at his ear. "Prove it."

Part of Kenna still didn't want to go to Pensacola with him. She didn't want to meet his family or his friends, she didn't want to leave the bubble that the WWE was, because it was as safe as she was going to get.

Pensacola wasn't safety. Pensacola was losing.

His hands were heavy and every movement his skin made against hers felt like it was falling on dead weight. She wasn't there with him, her mind wasn't with the languid roll of his hips or the pressure of his mouth on her chest, and she certainly wasn't paying attention when his fingers slipped beneath the waistband of her underwear.

She didn't even notice that he'd noticed.

"Stop thinkin'," Roman breathed into her ear, "where's your head at?"

"Right here," she whispered back.

He stopped completely. "Don't lie to me."

Kenna raised her eyes to his in more of a glare than anything else, and his narrowed. "You can't bribe me with sex, Roman. I'm not ready to meet your family or your friends."

"I didn't say anythin' 'bout you meetin' my family or friends," he replied cooly. "What's two nights at mine going to hurt? I wanna be in the comfort of my home with you. I don't wanna worry about prying eyes or Seth or Dean interruptin' us, I don't wanna worry about moving onto the next town in time. I wanna lose myself in you for two days."

"What if you don't find yourself after?" she whispered, eyes flickering between his and a blank spot on his chest.

Roman shook his head. "I'll worry 'bout it then."

"And I'll worry about it now."

Silence surrounded them and Kenna thought that was it, that it was the end of their disagreement. But then Roman lifted himself into a sitting position and became level with her, eyes staring straight into her soul, and she found she had more to say than just 'I'll worry about it now'.

"You don't know a thing about me, Roman," Kenna stated. "You know I hate my brother, that my family was pulled apart because of him. But you don't know me. What I like, what I don't like, what I'm like when I'm angry or sad, how to comfort me when I need someone there. You just don't know. So before you invite me back to your home, maybe you should make the effort to get to know me, yeah? Maybe then my answer will be different. For now, it's a no. I'm not going to have you fall in lust with the idea of me."

—

Somehow, Kenna had made it out of the hotel room without Roman completely blowing up in her face. She knew that he was volatile, almost violent, but had never been towards her. It'd been the first time she'd said no to him and she'd expected it to go much worse than it had— but it hadn't.

So now, her mission was to get her hair done before the Hall of Fame, purchase the dress she'd been eyeing off, and find a new safe-place— because the one in California wasn't safe anymore. In the mean-time, she figured she'd just stay in Greenwich with Hunter and buy an android phone that couldn't be easily tracked.

For most of Wednesday morning, she'd spent her time browsing the national realestate East-wards. She'd always been West of Hunter, but now maybe it was time to move a little closer, and somewhere that was definitely much safer. Wednesday afternoon was written off with her hair appointment, where Kenna'd opted to go a shade lighter than what she naturally was, and Thursday morning saw her back at her private beach house with the Hall of Fame gown draped over her arm. By Thursday evening, she was on a plane to Greenwich.

Friday was spent with her nieces and nephews, her distantly related family in the McMahon's, and organising the coming weeks with her step-brother and Stephanie. Vince was beyond happy with the result her efforts were having on the ratings and was pinning for a SummerSlam match between herself and his daughter, but that would be undecided on until Stephanie okay'd it (Kenna would be happy to take the win, and that was the only way she'd ever agree).

Saturday was the day of the Hall of Fame. While Hunter and Stephanie flew down on their own private jet, Vince had volunteered to let her fly with him and Linda. Kenna wasn't in the business of saying no to the big boss man.

"How's everything coming along, Kenna?" Vince had asked animatedly, smiling with his eyes when he sat down across from her. "Hunter says we're moving things along nicely with The Shield."

Kenna raised a shoulder and grinned. "Things are definitely moving. How much do you want to know?"

"Give me all the juicy details," he grumbled, rubbing his hands together. "How's the sex? The evil, conniving planning? Is Roman Reigns all the man he makes himself seem to be?"

She blinked rapidly and tilted her head away from the Chairman, in shock that he'd ask such a personal question, but— really, it was Vince McMahon. He wanted to know everything about everything. Which, at times, was creepier than he probably intended it to be. "I was pleasantly surprised by how smart he is. That, and how observant Seth Rollins is. You've got the future of the company in that man."

"And Ambrose?"

"Eh, I'm a bit indifferent on him. More of a mid-card player than anything else. He's unpredictable which you can exploit, but… unless you book him right, he'll never be the top guy."

Vince was watching her closely. "Anything else piquing your interest?"

"The honest to God truth?" Kenna raised an eyebrow, continued when she saw him nod. "Your Diva's division is shit. You've got some of the most talented women in Alicia Fox and AJ Lee, but you don't give them any substance. Programs that don't matter in the slightest, like Curtis Axel and Hunter— what the hell is that, by the way?— get more screen time than building up a Diva's championship match." Kenna shrugged at him and chewed on her lip while she considered what she was going to say next. "You might still think we're in the era of the WWE-made-Superstar, but the thing is… you'll get the biggest sale out of someone who worked through Ring of Honor and New Japan before someone like Titus O'Neil."

"Like who?"

"Prince Devitt. Samoa Joe. Kevin Steen. People you've already signed like Zayn and Rollins. The future of this business is the people who've worked their asses off for an opportunity and the people who will continue to steal the show even when they're a top guy."

It didn't surprise Kenna that halfway through the flight when she'd stood to stretch her legs, she caught Vince with his head deep in old Youtube videos of the guys she'd mentioned. And her legs almost stopped working when she recognised the video he was watching between Prince Devitt and another wrestler at NJPW.

She didn't need to be reminded of something she'd lost.

—

Roman said he'd meet her in the lobby of the hotel before the red carpet event and Kenna wasn't going to suggest somewhere else.

And when she stepped out of the elevator and was met with the sight of the large Samoan in an all-black suit with a silk, deep red tie, she couldn't help from grinning. He looked so handsome. Standing next to him was a dapper Seth Rollins and a scruffy looking Dean, but she couldn't take her eyes off her man.

"Roman."

He turned at the sound of her voice and stopped dead when he raked his eyes over her figure.

The dress she was wearing was deep red, a sequinned top thinning out into a plain, floor length chiffon skirt. A pearl necklace dipped into the space between her collarbones and her freshly coloured blonde hair was pulled back into a messy low ponytail, shorter tendrils fanning out across her face. Dark red lips and eyeshadow pulled the look together, and in the red heels she was wearing, Kenna didn't feel so small standing in front of Roman.

He was in awe.

A grin tilted at the side of Kenna's mouth and she curtsied, gripped her clutch a little tighter. Slowly, Roman reached out a hand and trailed fingers over the silver cuff on her left arm, stopping when he entwined their fingers. "You're so beautiful," he said softly. He ducked to press a soft kiss against her cheek, and all the makeup in the world couldn't hide the flush on her cheeks.

"'bout time you got down here," Dean said lowly. "You ain't the only one with a date waitin' on you."

"You've got a date?" Kenna asked incredulously, Roman taking a step back so she could look at the lunatic. "Why don't I believe that?"

"Just because my ridiculous charm and incredibly good looks don't work on you doesn't mean the rest of the female population is immune to me." Dean sniffed proudly and patted down the front of his blazer. "I mean, look at me. Who wouldn't say yes?"

Kenna snorted at him. "I can think of more than a few people."

Dean tried to glare at her, but she could see the gentle curve of his pink mouth. And, in all honesty, Dean really did look good. She wondered who he'd managed to seduce into saying yes when he wasn't stalking her.

Almost like he could read her mind, Roman ducked his head to whisper into her ear. "Renee."

Her eyebrows almost hit her hairline. Renee? Oh, she'd love to hear that story.

She never did.

Kenna was taken aback by the sheer number of old legends that knew her outside of the entertainment business. People like Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash, who approached her with bright smiles and open arms. People like Mark Callaway and Michelle McCool, who nodded at her from where they stood. Things that happened in full view of Roman, who just stood back and smiled when he needed to smile.

"You know a lot of the people here," Roman whispered into her hair at one stage. "It's like a political minefield, but you know how to navigate it pretty easily."

"I grew up around these people. I know what they like and what they don't." Kenna squared out her shoulders as she stared at her step-brother. "Probably the only good thing that ever came out of being related to him. Now, if you'll excuse me for a little bit… try not to let Stephanie maul me."

Roman sighed. "What are you gonna do now?"

"Vince McMahon gave me a job, and I think we're gonna celebrate it."

And with that, Kenna was walking towards Hunter and Stephanie McMahon.

This may just be the stupidest thing Kenna had ever thought of.

(didn't double check this chapter so errors are 100% on me)

! update!

all the love xx