The afternoon turned into evening in the blink of an eye, and Liza soon arrived to pick up Skipper. Lucy opened the door and greeted her with a hug before introducing Roman.
"So this is the man who's kidnapping my best friend and dragging her across the world," Liza said as she walked in, visibly sizing him up with an appraising smirk.
Lucy's cheeks heated as she anticipated what was coming. She should probably have given Roman a heads up, but it was too late now.
"Nice to meet you, Liza, I've heard a lot about you" Roman said, giving her a genuine smile and stretching out his hand to her.
"Oh, so formal," Liza laughed, but shook his hand nonetheless, "it's nice to meet you, too. Wow, you are somehow even bigger in person."
"Thanks," Roman said with a chuckle, "I usually hear the opposite- people think I look more huge on TV."
"You're welcome," Liza replied, "but, just so you know," she continued, crossing her arms and pinning Roman with her stare, her face turning serious, "no matter how big and strong you are, I will easily hunt you down if anything happens to her. Those giant biceps just make you easier to find."
Lucy winced, and Roman's smile faltered slightly, though he almost looked impressed.
"Liza-" Lucy hissed, but Roman cut her off, regaining his composure and putting on an easy grin.
"Hey, it's OK," he said, giving Lucy a reassuring nod before turning his attention to Liza, "I can't say that I wouldn't be the same way. I'm happy that you're looking out for Lucy- I respect that."
"Lucy can look out for herself," Lucy quipped in a dull tone, annoyed that they were speaking about her in third person even though she was standing right there.
"Lu," Liza started, her tone apologetic. Lucy widened her eyes at her friend's use of the nickname, and when Liza realized her slip of the tongue Lucy saw her suppress a laugh before continuing, "you know I didn't mean it like that. I just want Roman here to know that you've got someone in your corner who will break his pretty face if he hurts you."
Lucy scoffed, but Roman threw an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side.
"And I like knowing that someone's got your back," he said, pressing a kiss to her hair, "even when they threaten to disfigure me."
The three of them carried on more pleasantly after that, talking idly for a bit before Lucy gathered up Skipper.
"I'm going to miss you, baby girl," Lucy cooed, bending down to scratch behind her ears, "but you're going to have the best time with your aunt Liza and Courtney."
Skipper wagged her tail as Lucy fussed over her, then she brushed against Roman's leg, perking up her ears as she looked up at him expectantly. He laughed through his nose and lowered himself to join Lucy in petting her.
"Aww, you gonna miss me too?" he asked Skipper, hitching up his voice, and shot a smug glance up at Liza, "I think Skipper approves."
"Yeah, yeah," Liza said sarcastically, though Lucy noticed that her expression had softened as she watched them. Lucy smiled to herself and placed a kiss into Skipper's fur before standing back up.
"So you've got my number, obviously," she began, ticking off a mental list in her head on her fingers, "and I wrote down the vet's, and the emergency vet. I wrote down Roman's for you, too, just in case."
"Good," Liza said, giving him one last brief, threatening look, "that'll make the tracking even faster."
"Hey, if I do anything to hurt her- which I promise not to-" Roman said quickly, raising his hands in surrender, "you have full permission to come after me. And you know what, when you said you were in her corner, it reminded me of something."
Roman walked over to the coffee table and grabbed his phone. Liza looked over at Lucy with a puzzled expression, but she just shrugged, clueless as to what he was doing.
A ringing sound came from Roman's phone, and he held it outstretched and facing himself as he walked back over to Lucy and Liza. Just as he reached them, Lucy saw Seth's face appear on screen, his hair up in a messy bun and wearing his thick, black framed glasses.
"Hey man," Seth said, "what's goin' on? You ready for tomorrow?"
"Getting there," Roman answered with a nod, "but before we get going, I wanted you to say hi to someone real quick. Is D there, too?"
"Yeah, just a sec," Seth said, and his hand obscured the screen for a moment as he covered the microphone to call for Dean and a minute later both men were in frame with their faces pressed together.
"'Sup, Rome?" Dean asked, snapping at his gum.
"Well, I'm over at Lucy's, and she's got a friend here who is very protective," Roman said as his mouth curved into a half smile, shifting so that Liza was in the shot over his shoulder, "guys, meet Liza."
Liza waved to the camera with an awkward grin, eyebrows raised. Lucy could only stare between the two of them, still puzzled as to where this was going.
"And she said she is going to hunt me down if I hurt Lucy," he continued, "I figured you guys might have something to say about that."
"Ha ha!" Seth's nasal cackle rang out through the phone, and Lucy heard Dean snicker, too.
"Trust me, you've got nothing to worry about, darlin'," Dean's raspy voice said, "we'll be first in line to mess him up if anything like that happens."
Lucy smiled in spite of herself. This was all a bit over the top, in her opinion, but it was nice to introduce their friends, even in this bizarre fashion. And the reminder of how much they all cared gave her an undeniable fuzzy feeling.
"We've got her," Seth agreed with a nod, "and don't let the muscles fool you. I know he looks like he'll break you in half, but uce is a sweetheart."
"He really is," Lucy chimed in, "hi guys, by the way," she said playfully, and Roman pointed the phone at her with a chuckle as Seth and Dean waved.
"He better be," Liza said in a firm tone, but she wore a small smile as she looked into the camera when Roman shifted it back to her.
"How 'bout I leave you their numbers, too?" Roman suggested, craning his neck to glance at Liza, before turning back to the phone, "that cool with you guys?"
Dean and Seth gave each other considering looks, and then both men answered at once in a loud jumble. Lucy couldn't quite make out what they said, but they were nodding, so she guessed it was in the affirmative.
"Cool, thanks guys," Roman said, smiling appreciatively, "see ya tomorrow."
"Hey, wait a sec," Seth said before Roman could hang up, "I want to talk to Liza- hand over the phone. Can you and Lucy go into her room or something?"
"I…guess?" Roman agreed hesitantly, furrowing his brow as he handed the phone off to Liza, who looked equally bewildered as she took it from him.
Lucy felt just as confused as the other two, and glanced back at Liza with a shrug as she walked down the hallway to her bedroom, followed by Roman.
"What do you think he wanted to say?" Lucy asked, sitting on the edge of her bed and looking curiously up at Roman. It was clear from the look on his face that whatever Seth wanted to talk to Liza about, he had no part in it.
"Who knows?" he said with a wry chuckle, joining her on the bed "you know how Seth is- ten steps ahead of everybody, at all times. I've given up trying to keep up with where his head's at. Can't imagine it's anything to worry about, though."
Lucy chewed on her lip, considering, and quickly decided that he was probably right.
Roman and Lucy sat quietly, waiting for…something…for a few minutes. And then a few more.
Lucy was about to poke her head out when she heard Liza's footsteps approaching. She stepped into the room and handed the phone to Roman, and Lucy was a little surprised to find Seth and Dean still looking back at them.
"Thanks," Roman said to Liza as he took the phone from her. He turned his attention to the two men, who were doing nothing to hide the self-satisfied grins on their faces, "y'all done?" he asked with a short laugh.
"Yep," Dean answered with a smirk, punctuating with a pop of his lips.
"Alright then, we'll see y'all at JFK," Roman said, shooting a little wave at the camera.
"See ya," both men said in unison, "bye Luce!" Seth said louder.
"Bye guys," Lucy laughed, waving in the general direction of Roman's phone.
"Any chance you're going to tell me what that was all about?" Lucy asked Liza with raised eyebrows, though she already knew the answer.
Liza shot them both a look that plainly said "yeah, right," and shook her head.
"Not even a hint."
Lucy and Roman spent the night at Roman's house so that he could pack up anything he needed to grab at the last minute, which turned out to be a blessing for both of them. Had they stayed at Lucy's, she was sure that she wouldn't have been able to stop checking and rechecking that she had everything, and Roman had needed to wash a load of laundry.
Once Roman was finished packing, they'd left their bags by the door and settled in for the night. For dinner they'd shared another helping of the leftovers from Roman's mom - Lucy's request that he'd happily agreed to- and went to bed shortly after to get rested for the long, early plane ride.
That was the plan, anyway.
Lucy could not stay asleep for more than an hour at a time, no matter how much she tried. She was constantly woken up by her racing mind as she anticipated the coming weeks.
…Is this really happening? Am I out of my mind? Oh crap, did I remember to pack a toothbrush? OK yeah, I did. I definitely did. Toiletry kit, side pocket. What if I can't sleep on the plane and everyone else is asleep? It'll be like now, only 30,000 feet in the air- that's fine, it's fine. Just go to sleep now. I hope my coat is warm enough. Is it going to snow over there? I should have checked the weather again. I would love to see snow. Oh for the love of god, just go to sleep…
Her thoughts circled on and on, over and over, for hours on end. She resisted the urge to toss and turn as best she could, not wanting to disturb Roman, who was snoring gently next to her. Stretched on his side, he was illuminated softly by the moonlight shining through the window, and Lucy took a moment to appreciate how angelic he looked as his chest rose and fell steadily.
Somewhere around one o'clock in the morning she got up and used the bathroom. Roman was still sound asleep when she reemerged, and she crept quietly out of the room and down to the kitchen for a glass of water. She sipped at it, feeling simultaneously wired and exhausted, nearly delirious from teetering back and forth on the edge of sleep. When she finished the glass, she set it in the dishwasher and tiptoed upstairs, crawling back into bed.
As she slipped carefully under the covers, Roman rolled over and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into him, enveloping her in his warmth. Her legs slotted between his, and she sighed happily as her mind began to uncoil.
"Mmm, where'd you go?" he mumbled groggily. Lucy smiled against his chest.
"Just got a little thirsty," she said in a hushed tone, nuzzling into his pec, "go back to sleep, love."
Roman hummed softly, and his breaths became heavy again as he quickly drifted off. Lucy finally felt her eyes begin to droop as Roman's breaths ghosted over her, the thrum of his heartbeat in her ears as she laid tucked against him. At long last her brain quieted, allowing her to sink into a peaceful slumber.
A loud beeping noise roused Lucy, and she groaned when she realized it was Roman's alarm. Though she had eventually managed to get a few consecutive hours of rest, it had not been enough. Not that it mattered, really- nothing could prepare her for getting up at four o'clock in the morning. Lucy was not a morning person, even on a normal day. Roman yawned as he sat up and turned off the alarm, flipping on the lamp on his nightstand. Lucy let out a small whine and buried her head in the pillow.
"Time to get up, gorgeous" Roman said with a low chuckle, his morning voice like rich velvet. He gently shook her shoulder, "come on, adventure awaits."
Lucy rolled onto her back and slowly opened her eyes to see Roman smiling softly down at her, still blinking sleepily. She gave him a tired smile, and felt a flurry of butterflies despite not even being completely awake. She reached over and pulled at his arm.
"C'mere," she said, angling her chin up to him. Roman bent down and let Lucy pull him into her, and she placed a kiss on his lips, running her fingers over the stubble on his cheeks.
"I have ways of keeping you in bed, you know," she said throatily with a wicked, albeit still tired, grin.
"Oh, I know you do, baby," Roman rumbled as his smile grew, "but go easy on me, just this once. We've got a plane to catch."
They showered and dressed quickly, both donning their glasses for the long day ahead. Roman tucked his hair into his usual bun while Lucy wove hers into two braids, keeping it out of the way and comfortable. She slid on a pair of gray leggings and a black sweatshirt, and slipped her feet into a pair of gray sneakers. Roman came out of the bathroom with his dopp kit, and Lucy laughed as she saw that he was dressed in nearly the exact same thing, save for the joggers he wore instead of leggings. He met her eyes and looked down at himself, chuckling as he realized what she was looking at.
"Well, aren't we cute?" he said, tucking his phone into his front pocket.
Roman requested their car and did a quick sweep, double checking that every light was turned off while Lucy made sure they hadn't forgotten anything. There was an electric silence in the air, the kind that buzzes in your ears and fills a room with the energy of getting ready for something big.
A notification pinged on Roman's phone, letting them know the car had arrived. Lucy grabbed her duffel bag, throwing the strap over her shoulder as Roman wheeled both of their suitcases through the front door. As he turned his key in the lock, Lucy felt a surge of excitement and anxiety swirling in her stomach.
"Ready?" Roman asked with an eager smile, his face lit only by the headlight beams in the dark of the chilly morning.
Lucy took a deep breath and slowly released it, her heart pounding wildly as she shoved all thoughts of insecurity or fear aside. She smiled up at him, finding solace in the warmth of his eyes.
"Let's go."
Airport security was the usual amount of stress, and Lucy was relieved that she got through smoothly with her new, expedited passport. They located their gate easily enough and went on a hunt for a caffeine fix. Once coffee had been secured, Roman and Lucy wandered back towards the gate to find a seat and wait for boarding.
As they walked, a chorus of noise surrounded them when a group of fans excitedly approached Roman. He greeted them with the ease of someone who'd experienced this a thousand times, and Lucy felt immediately out of place. She stepped off to the side, gingerly taking Roman's coffee from his hand, and he shot her a thankful smile as he leaned in for a selfie. A girl who must've been about five years old stepped up shyly, holding her mom's hand and staring up at Roman with large, wide eyes filled with awe. He got down on his knee to greet her with a friendly smile, and the girl's mother gently prodded her to say hello. Lucy smiled as the girl waved timidly at him before burying her face in her mother's leg.
There was a tap on Lucy's shoulder, and she turned around to see a beautiful woman with chestnut brown skin and a brilliant smile looking at her. Her face was familiar, but Lucy couldn't place it right away.
"Hi! It's Lucy, right?" the woman asked, and Lucy nodded, "I'm Naomi. Roman showed us your picture the other night, I thought that was you."
"Oh, right! It's so nice to meet you," Lucy said, putting the pieces together now, "sorry, I'm still getting used to seeing all of you in the wild. My brain's not quite awake yet," she finished with a short laugh.
"No worries," Naomi said cheerfully, waving off her concern, "you just dove head first into the deep end- figured I'd keep an eye out for you when we got here. Jimmy's around here somewhere- we just took a few pictures with them, too," she said, nodding her head to the group surrounding Roman.
"So you guys are the people who actually need to get to the airport 3 hours early," Lucy said with a grin, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Yep," Naomi agreed with a laugh, "that's us."
Having gotten plenty pictures and autographs, the group dispersed, and Roman made his way over to Naomi and Lucy.
"Hey," Roman said in a cheerful greeting to Naomi, "see you two already met."
He took his coffee from Lucy's hand and placed a quick kiss on her cheek, which Lucy received as another unspoken "thank you." She met his eyes and smiled, and brushed her hand over his bicep, squeezing it softly in response.
Anytime, she thought.
She knew what she was signing up for when she'd started seeing Roman- excited fans were part of the deal, and she was honestly surprised that they'd made it this long without running into any.
"'Sup, uce?" a voice said over her shoulder, and Lucy turned to see the man she quickly recognized as Jimmy approaching, holding out his hand to clap Roman's. He turned and gestured to Lucy, "Is this your girl?"
"That's me," Lucy said, inclining her head towards him with a grin, "I was just getting to know Naomi."
"Welcome to the circus," he said with a laugh, and pulled her into an enthusiastic embrace. Lucy giggled as she returned the hug while Roman and Naomi shared an amused chuckle.
The four of them meandered to the gate, and they lucked into four seats that were tucked away in a corner. The group chatted as they all sipped coffee, and Lucy listed off some places from their list to visit on the first stop. Naomi excitedly told her that they were planning on a few of the same things, and they all happily agreed to go exploring together.
The flight to New York went off without much fanfare- there were a few more wrestlers onboard, and Roman made polite introductions between them and Lucy. Everyone she met greeted her happily, and Lucy felt more and more relaxed with each interaction. No one was eyeing her with judgment or suspicion - she just felt like a girlfriend meeting her partner's friends and coworkers. Once they'd settled into their seats, Lucy was struck once again by the realization that everything felt strangely normal. As the plane took off, Lucy took out her journal and began writing on the crisp, new front page, and from the corner of her eye she saw as Roman looked on with a smile.
They had a three hour layover at JFK, so they took their time getting to the next gate, poking into a few of the airport shops and stretching their legs in preparation for the upcoming seven hour journey.
Lucy was considering a magazine, flipping through the various articles when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. She turned to see Seth grinning at her in a snapback hat and glasses, followed by a sleepy looking Dean in a sweatshirt with hood pulled up.
"Hey," Lucy greeted them happily, "how was your flight in?"
"It was fine," Dean said through a yawn, "I need to find some food, though."
"Oh, that reminds me," Lucy said, setting her bag on the ground to search through it, pulling out the bag of scones, "I made these yesterday, and I thought you guys might like a snack at some point."
She held the bag out to Dean, who eagerly snatched it with a grin. Seth snorted as Dean opened the bag and immediately shoveled nearly half a scone in his mouth.
"Thanks, Luce," Dean said around a mouthful of crumbs.
"I don't think those are making it on the plane," Roman chuckled as he joined them.
"At least give me one," Seth said, grabbing a scone for himself as Dean went in for a second one. As Dean finished his first, he shot a pseudo challenging look at Roman.
"You better wife this one up quick, or I might beat you to it," he said, breaking off a blueberry and popping in his mouth with a smirk.
"Hey!" Seth squawked with an amused, indignant expression.
"You don't bake," Dean deadpanned with a shrug.
The light banter between the two men helped to mask the drop in her stomach that Lucy felt when she'd heard the word "wife." Her pulse quickened, and she chanced a glance at Roman, who was still wearing a grin, but had reddened in the face. From the way he was watching her, Lucy could tell she was doing an equally terrible job of hiding her reaction.
Naturally, thought had crossed her mind once or twice, in fleeting moments of daydreams when her mind got carried away. They were simple, brief snapshots of fantasies of a flowing white dress and a perfectly cut suit…
The picture looked beautiful in her mind,, but she willed it to go away as quickly it appeared. It was too soon- way too soon for all of this.
Yeah, because the pace up to now has been so normal, a voice in her head interjected.
Intent on ignoring that thought and focusing her mind on anything but the rising panic she was actively suppressing, she zipped up her bag, tossing it over her shoulder and picking up the magazine she'd must've dropped accidentally. She held it up and forced what she hoped was an easy smile at the three men.
"I'm going to buy this," she said, and made a beeline for the register. As she waited for the person in front of her to finish their purchase, she heard Roman, Dean, and Seth speaking in low voices. She peeked around to see Roman looking sternly at somewhat chastened Dean, Seth watching them with a carefully neutral expression, and her stomach twisted further into knots.
When she rejoined them, the tension in the air around Seth, Dean, and Roman had somewhat dissipated, and Seth shot her a sympathetic look, lifting his eyebrows and quirking his lips as if to say "these two, huh?"
Lucy gave him an appreciative smile and released a breath, willing her lingering anxiety to escape with it. She tucked the magazine into her bag and looped her arm through Roman's, nudging at his ribs with her elbow.
"I could use another coffee," she said as he looked down at her, his gaze easy but his brow still creased, "how about it, Superman? My treat," she asked, and this time the affectionate smile she gave him was genuine. He seemed to sense it as his expression visibly relaxed, the line of his mouth curving into a relieved smile.
Once they were settled at the gate, Lucy jotted down a few more things in her journal. Roman watched as she wrote once again, and Lucy's heart sunk as she saw a shadow of concern clouding his fond expression.
Exhausted didn't begin to describe how Lucy was feeling, but her brain was too fried to form a better word, so it would have to do.
The flight to London went well as far as flights go - no turbulence or disturbances of any kind- but it had worn Lucy out from start to finish. Once they were in the air, most of the plane went to sleep, including Roman and most of the roster on board. As predicted, Lucy was much too anxious to feel settled, and she attempted to read a book instead. When she read the same sentence for the fourth time in a row, she tried to watch a movie on her tablet - no such luck. Eventually she caved and dug out the light sleeping pills she'd brought, just in case. She ate one of the scones from the bag she'd packed for Roman and herself, popped a couple of the pills, and finally fell into an uneasy sleep.
An undetermined amount of time later, Lucy was stirred by her bladder. They were seated in the first row just behind first class, which had the advantage of extra legroom, but meant the bathroom was a bit of a walk down the plane behind them. Lucy climbed clumsily over Roman, feeling slightly off kilter as the sleeping pills continued to do their work. The flight crew had lowered the lighting to a soft blue to aid everyone in resting, and the aisle was crowded by the limbs of the sleeping passengers hanging out from their seats- the combination made Lucy's trip to the bathroom feel like she was wading through a crowd of prone zombies.
Dinner was served about four hours into their journey and everyone woke up. Lucy chatted with Roman, Seth, and Dean as they ate, and once the food was cleared they all settled back down to try and get a little more rest. With a satisfied stomach after her first full meal, Lucy slept easier, and for the second time that day, she woke up to Roman smiling down at her and shaking her shoulder gently.
"We're about to land," he said excitedly, and Lucy took his hand in hers with a smile, blinking the sleep from her eyes. As they began to descend she could feel the shift in the air, and she gripped Roman's hand tighter. She had been a decent flier the few times she'd done it, but the final few minutes always got her heart racing. She knew Roman could feel her unease when he held her hand firmly, and she saw him flash her a reassuring smile just before she closed her eyes, bracing for landing. When she felt the telltale bump and rumble as they touched down, Lucy released a breath and loosened her hold on Roman's hand.
"You did it," Roman whispered as he leaned into her, pressing a kiss to her temple. She squeezed his hand in thanks and used her free hand to grab his jaw, turning her face towards him to steal a peck on his lips before meeting his eyes with a smile.
"I had a little help," she said, and Roman's smile broadened. Lucy was flooded with warmth as he looked at her, followed by a wave of relief that the awkwardness from the airport had completely lifted. They'd left their homes and their worries back in the states.
Baggage claim quickly turned into chaos as a throng of people anticipating their arrival flooded the superstars. Everyone did their best to juggle hugs and photos and gather their luggage- Lucy was surrounded by murmurs of "Hi, nice to meet you - hang on - just a second, that's my bag- OK, sure, yeah I'll sign that," over the mechanical whir of the conveyor belt. She watched them in wonder at how they all managed to stay effortlessly calm in the midst of this bedlam, even after more than twelve hours of travel.
Bags finally in hand, they made their way to the hotel and checked in. Lucy glanced at the clock when they arrived in their room to see that it was just after one A.M. in London.
"We should probably go to bed, right?" she asked, "but after all that sleep on the plane I'm wide awake."
"Yeah, me too," Roman agreed before his face split into a conspiratorial smile, "that's why we have a little tradition."
"Oh yeah?" Lucy asked, her interest piqued.
"Whenever we get in with a time change around this time, we head out and see what bars are still open," he said, "once you're sitting in a booth with a cocktail and that travel adrenaline wears off, you'll be ready for bed in no time. Plus, it's a great way to kick off the trip."
"And if no bars are open?" she questioned.
"Well then we'd dip into someone's luggage stash," Roman answered with a chuckle, "but it hasn't happened yet."
"Alright, sounds like bar hunting it is," Lucy said with a grin.
They made short work of changing out of their flight clothes into something more appropriate to go out in, and layered on coats to combat the cold. Once they were ready, Lucy heard a knocking on a door she hadn't noticed on the wall to her left, reminding her that they'd agreed on getting adjoining rooms. Roman opened it to let Dean and Seth through, who had also changed their clothes, and the four of them were on their way.
They wandered down a few streets until they found a place Dean had looked up, delighted to see the lights glowing through the window, on which the hours were posted to show they'd be open until three. The foursome settled into a booth inside and ordered a round of drinks. When they arrived, Seth held his beer up for a toast.
"To startin' another one off right, and a welcome to Lucy," he said, grinning at her, and Lucy felt a small, happy flutter, "cheers everybody."
"Cheers," they all said in chorus, clinking their glasses and taking a sip.
"Thanks, Seth," Lucy said, meeting his genuine gaze with a smile. She sighed happily and placed a hand on Roman's knee, and he laced his fingers with hers, gazing over at her with a smile.
After a few minutes the three men got to talking about their upcoming matches, and once she finished her drink, Lucy closed her eyes and rested her head against Roman's shoulder, happy to simply decompress after their whirlwind of a day. The bar was playing music with a low, steady beat and it- combined with the gentle rumble of Roman's voice in her ear- soothed Lucy's senses enough that she began to drift off. She felt it happening and sat up quickly, shaking her head in an effort to wake herself up.
"Getting sleepy, babe?" Roman asked, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand, and Lucy nodded with a slightly embarrassed grin.
"I think your plan worked a little too quickly," she said with a short laugh.
"Nah, I'm crashing too," Dean said, emphasized by the gravel in his voice.
"Alright, let's get these kids to bed," Seth joked, drawing tired chuckles from the group. They settled their tab and walked back to the hotel, Lucy's arm wrapped around Roman's waist as they did so.
As they approached the entrance, Lucy slowed the pace of her steps.
"Hey, Ro," she said quietly, and he turned to look at her.
"Yeah, sweetie?" he answered, slowing his speed to match hers, letting Dean and Seth drift a few feet ahead.
"I'm really happy to be here with you," Lucy said with a meaningful look, swallowing as the emotions from this whirlwind of a day threatened to spill over, "thank you for sharing this with me."
He stopped walking altogether and smiled down at her, but remained quiet for a moment, and Lucy was starting to get nervous until he brushed a knuckle down her cheek.
"Can I tell you something?" he asked, taking both of her hands in his.
"Of course you can," Lucy said, giving him a warm, encouraging smile.
He was quiet a moment longer, and she was verging on anxious again when he spoke.
"It feels…right, with you here," Roman said softly, searching her eyes as he spoke,"like maybe you were supposed to be here all along."
Every thought swirling around in Lucy's mind was quieted. She was wrung out from the countless handshakes and new names and faces; the hordes of complete strangers; the worries over diamond rings and expectations and timelines- all of it was now shoved to the back of her mind.
She let herself get lost in his eyes for a moment as a dreamy smile came over her face. She tugged his hands downward, and pressed a soft, caressing kiss to his lips.
"I think you're right, baby," she said as they stood under the glow of a streetlight, "I think this is exactly where I'm meant to be."
