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Joe hadn't seen Sasha in two days, and truth be told he was missing her like crazy. She was stuck at home tending to her sick daughter. When she'd called to tell him about Mia contracting chicken pox she sounded tired, and he felt bad. Since then he had been thinking about doing something for her, but he didn't know what.

He felt a hand on his knee and looked up to meet a familiar pair of eyes staring at him with concern. "You've zoned out on me, Leati. What is it?"

Of all his three siblings, he was closest to his oldest sister, Alma. He could tell her pretty much anything, and with two children of her own, she could probably give him some advice on this situation. "Is it hard to be home with a kid with chicken pox?" he asked.

Though the question clearly surprised her, she didn't hesitate. "Oh Lord, yes. All that scratching and whining and oozing…it's horrible. It was a nightmare when my boys caught it. I also remember when you, Matt and Cassandra were younger and you all got it at once. Mom was stuck with y'all for nearly two weeks. Why do you ask?"

"A, um…friend of mine's daughter got the pox, and she's been stuck in her house for a couple of days now. I've been wondering if maybe there's something I could do to help her."

"Where's her husband?" Alma asked plainly. "Or partner?"

"She doesn't have one." And he left it at that.

"Oh. That must be tough."

It had to be. In fact, Joe had been thinking about that a lot, about just how much responsibility Sasha had on her shoulders as a single parent, and how busy it kept her. Even if they did get together, now that he was about to dive back into his crazy schedule, how often were they really going to see each other? It was no wonder she had reservations about going out with him.

"You seem awful concerned about her," his sister stated, ever observant. When he stared back at her, she grinned slyly. "Are you sleeping with her?"

He bristled. "No."

"You mean not yet."

"Don't," Joe warned. "She sounds exhausted, Al. I just wish I could help, ya know?"

Alma nodded. "Well, you could go check on her. Maybe take something along for her daughter? Kids get bored with the chicken pox because after the first two days they don't feel sick anymore but they can't go out, so a new book or toy goes a long way."

"You really think it'll be okay to go see her?" Joe had been pondering doing just that, but he had talked himself out of it.

"Of course. She's got to be desperate for company, and giving her kid a distraction will be appreciated."

Joe sat back, deep in thought. He wanted to do that for Sasha. He liked her enough to want to do that. He wanted to give her a break. Heck, he just wanted to see her. Badly. She was all he thought about lately, no matter what he tried.

His sister was studying him in a way that made him uncomfortable. "I have a serious question for you, Leati, and I'm sure Ma will ask the same thing if she was here," she began. "How do you feel about dating a woman who has children already? Are you sure you want to take that on?"

"We're just seeing each other casually, Alma. It's not a big deal."

"Yeah, but every relationship starts out casually then grows into something more. Are you okay with the possibility of raising another man's children? Especially after everything?" She trailed off, staring meaningfully at him.

Joe knew exactly what 'everything' was, and hated being reminded of it. It would always be a sore subject with him. Always. "Let's just not go jumping ahead, alright?" Talk like that was too early, much too early, among other things.

Alma held up her hands in mock surrender. "Relax. I just wanted to make sure you've thought this through. Personally, I think this woman is lucky to have you around. You obviously care very much about her." Smiling, she patted his shoulder. "You're a good boy, Leati. I hope this one works out for you."

Sasha sat slumped on the sofa, exhausted despite the early morning. She'd spent two days tending to an itchy, cranky little girl. Two days changing dirty sheets, towels and pajamas, trying to find something Mia could eat or be entertained with, and getting her hands lathered in calamine lotion. She was forced to send T.K. over to his friends', and Reggie was kind enough to give her the time she needed to care for Mia. Calling Joe to vent helped a little, and she was pleasantly surprised by how understanding he was about it. Despite being worn out and feeling slightly claustrophobic in her little apartment, she understood that this was her reality, and she was happy to be taking care of her child.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Not expecting anyone, she quickly tucked stray hairs back into her ponytail in an attempt to look more presentable and walked over, peeking through the peephole.

Oh snap! Joe?!

What the hell was he doing here? And could she look any worse? She couldn't not answer the door. It would be rude, for one. Secondly, he had three huge brown paper bags in his arms, making her even more curious as to why he was here. Thirdly, when it came down to it, she did want to see him. Wiping at her shiny face, she opened the door. "Hi."

He smiled. "Morning, beautiful. How are you doing?"

"Been better. What's up?"

He grinned sheepishly. "I thought maybe you could use some company. And I know you couldn't go out so I did some grocery shopping for you."

Taking a glance at the bags, she saw they were all filled to the brim with food items. Surprised at first, she suddenly realized why he'd gone out of his way like this. Embarrassment and anger bubbled within her like molten lava. "What's all this for?" she demanded, gesturing at the bags with one hand.

Joe's smile faltered a little. "Uh, consumption, last time I checked."

"Right. Way to rub it in, Joe. Real nice. Thanks," she snarled.

All humor was gone now, and he was taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor. "Is something wrong?"

"I know you opened my refrigerator that time you came over," she said accusingly. "Now I don't know what you're thinking, Joe, but I ain't no charity case. You didn't need to buy all of this. I didn't tell you things just so you could feel sorry for me, alright?"

"I don't feel sorry for you. I just wanted to help you out."

Sasha huffed, her arms coming over her chest defensively. "I don't need your help. I can handle my business just fine."

Joe closed his eyes. Took a deep breath. "It ain't like that, Sasha. I never said you were a charity case. Your daughter is sick, you're stressed out, and I wanted to ease some of that stress for you, because that's what friends do. I didn't mean anything else by it." He stopped talking, looked at her. Though her anger seemed to quell, she still didn't look pleased. Disappointment washed over him. "Look, I'll just drop these off and go," he murmured. "I'm sorry I offended you."

Taking in his crestfallen expression, Sasha's shoulders sagged with guilt, and she cursed herself for her rashness. "Wait. I'm sorry. I just…it's been a rough couple of days. Please don't go." Taking one bag from him, she pushed the door further open for him, remorse in her gaze. Joe obviously had good intentions and she'd misread it all.

Luckily, surprisingly, he seemed to understand. She was relieved when he kissed her forehead and gave her a small smile. "Water under the bridge, darlin'. Like I said, you're stressed out."

He really had gone all out. Her frig was the fullest it had been in a long time, stocked with every food item imaginable. Sasha spied a small black bundle wrapped in transparent covering that he had set aside from the groceries. "What's that?"

"A little present for Mia," Joe said. "How's she doing? My sister said it's tough to be stuck in the house with sick kids, especially chicken pox because they can't go out for a while and get bored."

Wait, he had discussed her with his sister? That set a certain amount of panic off in her, but she did her best not to dwell on it. "She's asleep right now. I'm just glad it's the weekend. She'll have more time to rest and be ready for school on Monday. You had the chicken pox before?"

"Yep, when I was little."

"Lucky you. Better then than now." She picked up the eggs. "I guess I could make an omelet for Mia. I'll make you one too, to atone for my earlier stupidity."

"I told you all is forgiven. Grab a seat." Taking the eggs from her, he guided her away from the stove, and she grew even more confused when he started bringing out pots and pans from the cupboards. "What are you doing?"

"You've been on your feet for days now. Let me handle this, alright? Now sit," he commanded gently, gesturing towards a chair before setting his sights on the task at hand. Sasha gaped at him for a long moment before doing as she was told. Big bad WWE wrestler Roman Reigns was going to cook for her? This was going to be very interesting, indeed.

And it was. Within twenty minutes he had prepared a full continental breakfast – eggs, sausages, bacon, toast and orange juice, all spread enticingly over the kitchen table. The sight of him in all his buff gorgeousness moving around her kitchen like he'd done so a hundred times before had been a very welcome bonus. "Okay, I totally underestimated you," Sasha remarked, amazed. "I never would've taken you for a cook."

"Looks can be deceiving, baby girl. Us Samoan boys are great in the kitchen. I'm not as great as my cousins but I'm pretty solid all round."

Sasha stood up to wash her hands. "Well, if this was anything to go by, a real meal will be a sight to see."

"Then let's make it official," he suggested. "Lunch. My place. Tomorrow."

"Your place?" Whoa. He was inviting her to his house? This was a new step.

"Yeah. I make the best barbequed chicken." He moved to stand in front of her, silently asking for permission as he rested his hands on her hips. He smiled to himself at her intent, almost longing stare. In the next move they were kissing, brushing each other's lips back and forth with light, teasing strokes. Joe couldn't help himself. Her lips had been calling his name from the minute he stepped inside her house and he felt like if he didn't kiss her he was going to go crazy.

Sasha responded instantly to his kiss, she herself having ached to feel his mouth on hers once again. Her fingers linked behind his neck as his hulking frame trapped her against the kitchen sink, and a mix of shock and thrill surged through her as she felt his hand on her butt and his arousal against her hip. She leaned further into him, her arms dropping to wind around his back and pulling him closer. The passion that settled in the pits of their stomach emerged when the kiss increased in intensity. Her tongue darted into his mouth, causing him to moan softly, and in response he squeezed her butt cheek, earning a moan from her. Something akin to elation flooded his system. He'd thought about this very moment for the past two days. Having had a taste of her, he craved more, and judging from the way she kissed him back, so did she.

"Mama?"

Sasha ripped away from Joe, completely startled by the new voice. Hastily wiping her mouth, she found her daughter standing a few feet away, barefoot and wrapped in a blanket, her face streaked with drying calamine lotion. Her eyes were big and curious as she stared at the huge stranger in their kitchen.

"Baby! You're awake," Sasha squeaked, her voice rising a few octaves, scared to know how long Mia had been standing there for. When Mia made no reply, she realized she was still staring at Joe. "Uh…Mia, this is Joe. Joe, this is Mia," she introduced them.

Joe waved and approached slowly. "Hi, Mia. Nice to meet you."

The little girl cocked her head to the side, and he noticed how much she resembled Sasha at that moment. "Isn't your name Roman Reigns?" she said.

He almost burst out laughing. Her mother said the same thing when they first met. "Roman Reigns is my wrestling name, but you little lady, can call me Joe," he smiled. "And speaking of…" He held up her present. "Your mom told me you weren't feeling so good so I brought you something. Wanna see what it is?"

Whatever suspicions the little girl initially harbored were quickly forgotten. "Okay!" She shuffled over as he unwrapped it, revealing a brand new Shield kids' hooded sweater. One of the bonuses of being a top WWE Superstar was that people were at your beck and call anywhere and anytime. Within an hour of requesting the hoodie, he got it. He couldn't lie; it was a sweet perk. "Do you like it?" he asked Mia, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"I love it!" she exclaimed, shrugging off her blanket to put it on, wearing it over her pajamas and pulling the hood over her head. "How do I look, Mama?"

"You look great, baby," Sasha smiled. "Now what do you say to Joe?"

"Thank you." She rolled up the sleeves. "Do I look as cool as Dean Ambrose? He always looks cool when he wears his."

"Is Dean your favorite?" That would surprise Joe a little. The younger demographic usually leaned towards Seth's high-flying moves.

Mia sat down next to him at the table and put a piece of bacon in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "I like Seth the best. But you all do different cool stuff. You guys are mean though. You're always beating everybody up."

"We're only serving our brand of justice, sweetheart," Joe answered, momentarily slipping into character.

"But you're doing it wrong," the eight-year-old insisted. "You don't want Daniel Bryan to be Champion and that's not fair."

Sasha never quite realized how much Mia knew about wrestling. She recalled her and T.K. gushing over an episode they'd watched at Pam's house, and a couple of times the little girl had actually attempted to engage her in a wrestling-related conversation. Now seeing her talk so freely with Joe, it almost made her feel left out.

In no time, Mia and Joe were fast friends. They talked about everything, from their favorite cartoons and hobbies to their favorite subjects at school. It made Sasha smile to see Mia in a much better mood. Watching the two of them talking and laughing caused a funny sensation to stir within her, but she banished the thought before it had the chance to settle. Don't go there, Sasha.

"Is that really your hair?" Mia was asking now. "Let it down. I wanna see."

"Mia," Sasha warned, but Joe assured her it was fine and pulled out the band securing his hair, letting it fall. "See this?" he boasted, flicking his chest-length locks proudly, "This is full-grown thoroughbred mane right here."

"It's so long. I wish I had hair like that." Mia actually pouted, causing the big man to laugh. "I'll take that as a compliment, sweetheart." He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "You know, you're as pretty as your mom."

Mia's eyes went wide, then she gave him a big grin. She turned to Sasha. "Mama, he's sexy!"

Joe choked back a laugh. Sasha looked at her daughter in utter horror. "And how do you know what sexy is?" she exclaimed.

"That's what Aunt Pam says whenever Charlie from dance class kisses her hand."

Sasha was at a loss for words. Her baby was spending way too much time around her best friend, she thought as she excused herself to go to the bathroom.

Chuckling softly to himself, Joe made to finish his breakfast, pausing when he felt Mia's eyes on him. "Everything okay? You're not eating much."

"Are you the one that's always making Mama smile over the phone?" Mia asked.

Uh oh. Interrogation time. "Well, I'd like to think it's me. But yeah, guilty as charged," he smiled.

"She likes you," Mia stated matter-of-factly. "She always smiles like, real big after she hangs up."

His smirk widened. "Is that so?"

"Uh huh." She glanced over at him. "Obviously, you like her too."

"I do. A lot." Though he had a feeling she wouldn't have been this inquisitive if she hadn't found them necking in the kitchen, he supposed he owed it to her to be honest. "Are you okay with that?" he asked.

Toying with the zipper of her new hoodie, Mia shrugged. "Yeah. You're nice. The last guy that liked Mama was annoying. He talked to me like a baby. I'm almost ten. I'm not a baby."

"That you are not," Joe agreed. Gazing down at this bright, intelligent little girl, his eyes stung. Startled by the unexpected emotions, he quickly blinked them away.

Sasha returned, and Mia yawned, coming down from her chair and gathered her blanket back around herself. "I'm going back to bed." She smiled at Joe. "Thanks for the sweater."

"Pleasure's all mine, sweetheart." He got to his feet as well. "I guess that's my cue to head out."

Wishing he didn't have to, Sasha followed him to the front door. "Thank you for breakfast," she said. "And for hangin' out with Mia. She's had a rough couple of days and she really needed that. You were really good with her."

"You can thank my nephews and nieces for that," Joe replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Plus she's an awesome kid."

Sasha reached out to rub his tattooed forearm. "Well, I think you'll make a great father someday."

"Someday," he said simply. "So, lunch tomorrow?" He deftly changed the subject.

"Why do I feel like I've monopolized all of your time off?" she asked, jokingly.

"Trust me when I say I don't mind at all." At this point he couldn't stay away from her if he tried. He traced his finger along her jaw. "I think we had our first fight today."

Sasha groaned and looked away. "Don't remind me. I still feel horrible about that."

Joe caught her chin and gently tilted her face back up. "I would never disrespect you, Sasha. Not intentionally. You know that, right?" His tone was serious as his eyes searched hers. He understood that she was used to being on her own. He also understood what she was going through, raising her kids alone, and he wanted to be there for her in whatever capacity she was comfortable with.

She nodded. She believed him. She hadn't known Joe for long, but she knew he wasn't like that. Wasn't expecting anything in return, unlike the others. "I know." Checking that her bedroom door was firmly shut – the last thing she needed was Mia interrupting them again – she kissed him softly, fighting the strong urge to dive deep into his mouth again. "You go on, handsome. We'll talk later."

Got carried away with this chapter. I talk too much. Thank you for reading, and spread the love for ITDE! :)