"Hello, and welcome back. Once again, we are joined today by WWE's phenomenal stable, The Shield…"
Roman, Dean, and Seth were seated in a small studio for their third interview of the morning, doing their usual loops of press appearances. The interviewer began with some of the standard questions about how they'd met and why they were so successful thus far, and then moved on to their lives outside of the ring.
"Now, how about dating?" the host asked with a conspiratory smile, letting her gaze fall on Seth.
"What about dating?" he retorted with a chuckle.
"It must be difficult, with your lifestyle," she prodded, "how do you three find time for women when you're constantly on the road?"
Roman watched and Seth and Dean shared a look that was imperceptible to anyone but the three of them. These questions were less common, but regular enough that they had a system pretty well worked out.
"If you're looking for a night out on the town, babe, all you had to do was ask," Dean drawled, dropping his voice to a raspy near-growl, shooting her a hearty wink for good measure. The interviewer released a nervous giggle as Roman let out a booming laugh, and gave Dean a good natured eye roll.
"Always got time for a date, this one," Seth said with a half smile, hooking his thumb at Dean, who was rotating in his chair back and forth with an impish smirk.
Of course, those dates were with Seth, but she and whoever was listening at home didn't need to know that. Dean and Seth weren't embarrassed about their relationship, but they wanted to keep it for themselves, out of the headlines and the public eye. A select few, trusted people on the roster knew about it, and the rest just attributed their closeness to the brotherhood bond.
"I think it's all about setting expectations," Roman spoke up, drawing the host's focus to him, "you just have to be honest and upfront with your partner, and then follow through with your commitments. Our lives are insanely hectic day to day, but if we want to make time for someone, we will. It's all about making the most of the time you do have with them - whether that's a weekend, a day, or even just a few hours. The right person will understand and go on that ride with you."
Roman felt two sets of eyes on him, and turned to look at his brothers in turn. Seth's face looked almost dopey as he smiled widely at him, while Dean's face was softer- and if Roman wasn't mistaken, a little proud. His cheeks colored slightly and he looked down at the small paper coffee cup in his hands, taking a sip as a means of distraction more than anything.
They wrapped up their interview with a few more questions each. Stepping out of the building and onto the street, the three men walked in the direction of a gym they'd looked up that was just a few blocks away, Seth leading the way as Roman and Dean followed him side by side.
"Since when did you get so old and wise, big brother?" Seth asked, tilting his head upward as he adjusted his beanie over his ears.
"I've always been wise," Roman joked as he zipped up his hoodie, confused, "but, uh, what are you talking about?"
"Listen to you in there, doling out top tier relationship advice," Seth replied with that same wide smile he'd had in the studio, "a month ago, we never would have heard anything like that outta you."
"I was just talking," Roman said with a forced casualness, shoving his hands in his pockets, feeling uncharacteristically shy under this line of questions.
Seth opened his mouth as if to argue that point, but Dean spoke up before he had the chance.
"Leave him alone," Dean said, a white cloud puffing out his mouth against the frigid air, "you know how Rome gets when we bring the fact that he is completely in lo-"
"Oh my god," Rome said, cutting him off with an exasperated huff, "are we really doing this again already?"
"See," Dean grunted quietly.
"If you don't wife this one up, I might beat you to it," Dean said, with his signature smirk.
Roman didn't even hear Seth's comment as his pulse started racing, and he stole a glance at Lucy, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. He did his best to remain calm, or at least appear that way, but he knew Lucy didn't buy it for a second. He watched as she gathered up her things and practically ran to get in line and buy her magazine. Once she was mostly out of earshot, Roman fixed a hard look on Dean.
"Dude, you can maybe not say things like that?" he said sharply, keeping his voice low.
"What?" Dean asked defensively, "she obviously knew I was joking."
"I know, it's just" Roman said, closing his eyes in frustration, smoothing a hand over his pulled back hair, "this trip is already a lot of pressure, on top of my dad overreacting, and my mom sending her trays of food- I don't want to scare her off, man. She's going to think I'm already going ring shopping."
"I thought she loved your mom's leftovers?" Dean asked, crinkling his brows as he took another bite of his pastry.
"Yeah, she did, but that's not the point-" Roman stopped short, letting out something between a sigh and a growl. He didn't know what to say to make his brothers understand.
The truth of the matter was that he was working overtime not to picture a future with Lucy. Watching her hang pictures and looking so comfortable in his house replayed in his mind again and again. He could so easily imagine coming home to her there on his days off - finding her writing on her laptop in the office he never used, or tossing a ball with Skipper in his backyard…
"I don't know where her head is at, long term," he said quietly, risking a glance over his shoulder to see that Lucy was at the register now, "we're still getting to know each other- we might want different things."
He felt an ache in his heart at the thought.
"So you're saying that is something you want?" Seth asked in a cautious tone, clearly trying not to fan the flames between Roman and Dean.
"I'm saying I don't want her to feel rushed," Roman said, skirting around Seth's question.
Dean and Seth exchanged a look, which did nothing to allay his concern or mounting frustration.
"Rome," Dean began firmly, all teasing gone,"I know you're not that stupid. Anyone who has been around the two of you for more than ninety seconds can see that you - that both of you - have been in this thing for the long haul from almost the moment you met."
"Dean," Seth admonished softly.
"OK, look," Roman interrupted, tone clipped, "I don't want to debate this. Just let us crawl before we walk, and walk before we run- please? If we decide that we're going to talk about things like marriage, I'd rather it not be in the middle of an airport crawling with people before a six hour plane ride."
"Seven," Seth corrected, and Roman shot him a glare, "sorry," he said quickly, pressing his lips into a thin line, actively fighting against the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Dean was quiet for a moment, before he finally rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Fine, I promise," Dean said, throwing his hand up in defeat, "no more pointing out things that are extremely obvious to anyone with eyes."
Roman heaved a sigh, knowing that there was little to no chance that Dean would actually drop this subject for any length of time- hopefully they could just get through the rest of the day in peace.
Lucy rejoined the group, and Roman felt a weight lift when she wrapped her arm through his with a small, warm smile on her face. The panic he'd seen minutes earlier was gone, the expression in her green eyes returned to almost normal. He tried to let go of his remaining frustration.
"I could use another coffee," she said, "how about it, Superman? My treat."
Roman melted at her use of the nickname. Of all the things she called him, that was far and away his favorite. His heartbeat finally slowed back down, and he couldn't have stopped the grin that spread across his face if he'd wanted to.
"OK, OK, you're right," Seth said with an annoyed groan, "let's not go down this road again. All I meant to say was that you should give yourself some credit. What you said in the interview was pretty solid, and the fact that you've figured that out in only a few weeks is crazy, but cool, man."
Roman let that sink in for a moment. He'd meant it when he'd said he was just talking - the words just sort of came out on their own. As he considered this silently, he realized that a large part of his reference point was standing right next to him.
Even though they were all together constantly, keeping their relationship quiet meant that Seth and Dean had very little time to spend with each other as a couple. Roman gave them space when he could, which was only so often, and they still lived states away from one another. He knew, too, that even when they did have the time, it was hard to shut off the work brain. But, like the impossibly hard workers they both were, they'd figured it out one step at a time.
"Yeah, well," he began, bumping his shoulder against Dean's, "I think I had a couple of pretty good role models."
Seth looked back at him with a surprising humble smile as Dean returned Roman's shoulder bump, making meaningful eye contact with Seth before he turned back to watch for their destination.
"Alright, I'm calling it," Dean said, drawing his hood up over his head, "that's it - feelings time is officially over."
As they finished walking in a comfortable silence, Roman pretended not to notice the extra bounce in Dean's step.
"Hey, there you are!" Lucy said brightly as Roman walked into their shared room. He was glad, if surprised, to see her awake and looking ready for the day. Their interview had been before dawn, and Lucy was still sound asleep when he'd left quietly with a soft kiss to her cheek.
"Morning, gorgeous," he said, dropping his gym bag by the door, "jet lag's got nothing on you."
"I don't know if it was the post travel drink or the excitement to finally be here," she said, greeting him with a quick kiss, "but either way, I'm not complaining."
She went to start putting on her shoes when Roman caught her arm, pulling her back towards him.
"Get back here," he said with a smirk, "I'm not finished saying good morning yet."
Lucy beamed and wrapped her arms around his waist, giggling quietly as he pressed his lips to hers. Her laughter was swallowed as their tongues met, and Roman rested his left hand on her shoulder, gently holding the back of her neck with his right.
Roman took a few steps back to sit on a loveseat that was in the corner of their room, drawing Lucy onto his lap as he did so. She made herself comfortable on his thighs and draped her legs to one side, rubbing her hands against his chest as they continued exchanging kisses. Roman sighed and melted under her, letting himself get lost in the heady sensation that kissing Lucy always brought on.
"Not fair," she said when they broke apart to catch their breath, "I feel like I just slept for an entire day, and now I want to drag you back to bed," she finished with a mischievous grin.
"Mmm," he rumbled, feeling a stirring in his groin.
Roman tightened his hold around her, internally debating how much time they had before a loud knock sounded against the door separating the shared rooms.
"Is everybody decent?" Seth shouted through the door.
"Why did we agree to adjoining rooms again?" Roman muttered with a laugh.
"It was your idea," she replied, amused, tapping her fingers on his chest for emphasis.
"It seemed like a good one at the time," Roman said with a dramatic sigh, "come on in, guys," he answered, raising his voice.
Dean walked in a moment later, followed by Seth with wet hair, straight out of the shower.
"Oh, and what are we interrupting in here?" Dean said, waggling his eyebrows as he sized up Roman and Lucy, still tangled around one another.
"A show you are not invited to," Roman answered him with a chuckle.
"Aww, not an exhibionist, babe?" Lucy asked playfully as she shifted off of his lap to sit next to him on the couch, leaving her legs stretched across his lap.
"Dude, who are you kidding? We've seen your dick so many times, I could pick out of a lineup," Dean scoffed, and Seth doubled over with a loud cackle.
Roman felt himself turning scarlet, but couldn't help laughing out loud all the same, and Lucy let out a fit of giggles.
"I was mostly thinking of you, with these animals running around," Roman said through a laugh, inclining his head towards Dean who was still grinning like that cat that caught the canary.
"Always such a romantic, our Romie," Seth teased, batting his eyelashes as he perched on the edge of the bed.
"Ugh, please, never 'Romie'," Roman protested, sending the entire group into another laughing fit.
The laughter continued for another few minutes, and then Seth spoke up again.
"So, where are we off to?" he asked, "I heard something about you having an agenda planned," he gave an encouraging nod to Lucy, "which I totally approve of, by the way."
"Well, I mostly had touristy stuff on the docket day," Lucy said, "Tower of London, the London Eye, that sort of thing- Roman said you hadn't been to a lot of that stuff when you were here last."
Roman nodded as she continued, Dean and Seth murmuring their agreement. The truth was, when the three of them typically traveled, they were so laser focused on work that seeing the places they were going was last on the list. When they had discussed what it would look like to have someone not from their world joining them, the men had agreed that stretching their days to include more exploration was the way to go.
Roman smiled to himself as Lucy and Seth volleyed plans back and forth excitedly. They'd been nearly everywhere and seen next to nothing, and that was all about to change. He stroked his thumb across Lucy's thigh where it rested, wondering if she even realized that she was broadening their horizons just as much as they were hers.
"And later tonight, after Raw, I booked a ghost tour for all of us," Dean said, bouncing on his toes excitedly, "Naomi, too. I invited the twins, but they've got something else going- Naomi's bringing Paige, though."
"I'm always down for spooky stuff," Lucy said happily, "sounds like we've got a packed day ahead.
"Then we'd better get to it," Roman said, pulling Lucy in for one last quick peck on the cheek before they all headed out the door.
The morning was a flurry of activity as they ventured from destination to destination. Their first stop was the Tour of London, spending a couple of hours marveling at the beautiful architecture, and they even got to see the ravens being fed as they walked by the South Lawn.
Next up was the Leadenhall Market, a large covered market that both Seth and Lucy had insisted on visiting. The two of them ran ahead several times, pointing out various shops and displays to one another. As they made their way through the throngs of people, Lucy drifted back to Roman's side, grabbing his hand and beaming up at him. He felt a happy glow settle over him as they looked up at the sparkly lights that had already been strung up for the holiday season, along with large swags of garland. They turned a corner to see a massive Christmas tree, adorned with red and gold ornaments, along with scattered bows and tiny packages.
"We should take a picture," Lucy said, squeezing Roman's hand excitedly. He looked into her eyes that were lit up so brightly, and he smiled broadly, handing his phone to Seth.
"Would you mind?" he asked, snaking an arm around Lucy's waist as they centered themselves in front of the tree.
"Like you even needed to ask," Seth said, grabbing the phone from him eagerly.
They froze in place and smiled as Seth took approximately twenty pictures, making sure to try each and every angle, and Roman bent down to sneak a kiss on Lucy's cheek for the last few. He felt her cheeks warming as he did so, and she let out a soft giggle.
I am so lucky, he thought.
"Can I take one of you three?" Lucy asked when Seth assured them he'd got the shot, and the three men posed quickly, doing their best to avoid drawing too much attention.
Their last stop before the men had to head to the arena was the London eye. The four of them joined another couple of groups in one of the large oval shaped pods- the views were breathtaking. As they rose to the top, the River Thames glittered beneath them, and Roman recognized Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
"I'll be heading over there when you guys are getting ready for the show," Lucy said, pointing to Westminster Abbey, "after that, I figured I'd take a little time and wander- see if I stumble across anything fun."
"Don't go getting lost on me," Roman said with a chuckle, "or you know Liza will be coming for my head."
The four of them shared a laugh at that.
"Nah, she'll be fine," Dean piped up, "us wolves know how to find our way around."
Roman smiled softly as Lucy and Dean exchanged a look, acknowledging their shared need for space every now and again. With Roman's encouragement, Lucy had opened up to Dean about the discussion he and Lucy had back at her apartment when the four of them were at the airport. As Roman had expected, Dean had been more than understanding- he was actually relieved that someone was around who understood the urge to just take a step back from everyone and catch your breath.
When their pod reached the ground, the foursome exited and found their way to the street littered with taxis. Roman, Dean, and Seth were going to run quickly back to the hotel for their bags and gear as Lucy continued on with her solo explorations.
"We'll see you after the show," Roman said, pulling Lucy into an embrace and giving her a brief kiss.
"Go kick some ass, babe," she replied, stealing another kiss as she released him, "later, guys!"
"Have fun," Seth said, pulling Lucy into a quick side hug before crawling into the car after Dean, who waved his goodbye. Roman climbed into the passenger seat, and they were off to go to work.
After figuring out their spot on the card for the night and throwing around a few promo ideas, Roman, Dean, and Seth decided to grab some food from catering. As Dean built his usual sandwich, Roman and Seth filled their plates of the various steak, chicken, and greens on offer. As they grabbed their silverware, Paige approached the station next to them, her dark, glittery makeup already on, though she was still in a tank top and a pair of leggings.
"Hey guys," she greeted in her thick English accent, taking a plate from the large stack, "I hear we're going ghost hunting later."
"Hopefully just touring," Roman said with a chuckle, "I didn't bring any gear for catching Casper."
Roman decided that his plate was full enough and stepped aside to wait for Dean and Seth so they could scope out whatever little place they'd find to hunker down backstage.
"I bet we do see something tonight," Dean, taking a big bite of his sandwich and swallowing before continuing, "how awesome would that be?"
"Well, if not, I know of some pretty haunted places in Nottingham," Paige said as she set her food down at a table next to where the men were standing.
"Have you explored around there a lot?" Roman asked, realizing he hadn't thought to ask her for advice about where to take Lucy while they were here- though with her research skills, it turned out they had more than enough options.
"A little bit here and there, but not really since I've left home," she answered, "these days I'm mostly just around that area for work. But I can definitely tell you where all the best places to find a practice ring are," she finished with a small laugh.
Seth walked over with his plate, ready to go and eat. Roman turned to follow him and Dean when he saw, at the same as Seth, that the latter had wandered back over to build himself a second sandwich. Laughing to himself, Roman decided to sit and eat with Paige a little bit before his food went completely cold. Seth followed suit - even though Dean was the one who didn't care for staying around all of the people in catering, this was not an unusual occurrence.
"I bet you've got your pick of any gyms or rehearsal spaces you want around here," Seth said conversationally, stabbing at some asparagus with his fork.
"Yeah, pretty much," Paige agreed, "perks of going into the family business."
Roman nodded his agreement, and took a few more bites of his food when an idea suddenly came to him.
"Alright, let's get outta here," Dean said, cocking his head towards the hallways, carefully balancing his plate with a comically piled high sandwich.
"Oh now he's ready," Seth mumbled, sliding out from the table and grabbing his plate.
Roman went to stand, paused, and then sat back down, tapping his fingers on the table distractedly.
"Actually, you guys go on ahead," he said quickly, glancing up at his brothers, who were both looking at him with confused faces, "I'll catch up in a little bit- same spot as last time, yeah?"
"Yeah…" Seth answered warily. He studied Roman for another moment with a furrowed brow, exchanging a glance with Dean, but not pressing for anything further. Another thing that made Roman forever grateful for their bond- even when they acted as strangely as he was now, the trust was always there.
The two men left, Dean shooting him one last quizzical glance over his shoulder before they disappeared around the corner, and Roman waited until they were out of earshot before he turned back to a bewildered Paige.
"Now that you mention it," Roman said, keeping his voice low, "I think there's something you could actually help me out with."
The show went fantastically, as expected - the London crowd was one their best of the year, every time. Dean had put on a great match to retain his United States title, and the three of them tore the house down in a match against Daniel Bryan.
Lucy was in the audience, and Roman could swear he had heard her cheers rising over the roar of the crowd once or twice during their match. He spotted her amongst the sea of people, and managed to catch her eye right before he hit a spear, which added an extra spark to his usual rush of adrenaline.
Fresh out of the shower, Roman walked out of the locker room and found Lucy waiting in the backstage viewing area. She looked up when she heard his approaching footsteps with a smile that lit up the room, jumping up to greet him. Roman smiled broadly, bending down to kiss her as soon as she reached him, wrapping her up in his arms. Lucy made a contented sound as their lips met, resting her hands on his waist and leaning into him.
"I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching you out there," she said, gazing into his eyes.
"Glad to hear it, 'cause I like having you here," Roman said, feeling a swell of emotion as he spoke.
Once again, he was struck by how meaningful it felt knowing Lucy was in the crowd, cheering him on. His job had been his entire world for so long, and suddenly the beautiful woman looking up at him had become a part of it.
He looked down at her, brimming with adoration, and noticed that she was wearing a Shield t-shirt that they'd just released a week or so ago.
"Dean or Seth give that to you?" he asked curiously- in all the rush of getting ready for tour, he hadn't had a chance to open the package of new merch he'd received yet.
"Nope," she replied with a shake of her head and coy smile, "I bought it at the merch stand before the show started."
"You know I would have given you one, babe," Roman said, absentmindedly tucking a curl behind her ear.
"Yeah, I know, but I want to support you on my own, too," she said insistently, and Roman smiled fondly, shaking his head softly.
"And don't worry, baby," she said, lowering her voice as he noticed a glint in her eye, "I'll let you help me break it in."
Roman swallowed hard, heat rushing through him at the vivid memory of her riding him while wearing his hoodie. Her head thrown back, eyes closed, curls wild, moaning as his cock was buried into her tight, wet heat, falling to pieces around him.
He shifted on his feet, willing his blood not to go directly to his groin as they were still very much surrounded by his friends and coworkers. Roman growled quietly, bending down so only Lucy would be able to hear him when he spoke.
"If you keep breaking our agreement about teasing," he warned, holding her stare and curving his mouth into a half smirk, tightening his hold and firmly pulling her closer, "I might have to teach you a lesson."
Lucy's eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open into an "o" shape as she released a quiet gasp. The expression only lasted for a moment, however, as she quickly blinked and fixed him with a mischievous grin that instantly had Roman wanting to pull her into the closest room he could find. She stood up on her tiptoes and leveled him with a dangerously sparkling look in her eye.
"Promise?" she asked in a husky whisper.
That was a challenge if he'd ever heard one. And Roman never backed down from a challenge.
He opened his mouth to assure her that he would absolutely be making good on that threat when he saw her eyes dart over his shoulder and-
"Lucy, hey!" he heard a familiar, cheerful voice exclaim from behind him. Roman cursed under his breath, but grinned nonetheless, releasing his hold on the woman responsible for his growing erection.
"Hi, Naomi," Lucy smiled, shifting her gaze briefly back to Roman to throw him a self-satisfied grin. She brushed against the tent in his pants before gently pulling him to stand behind her, mercifully obscuring the view of anyone who happened to walk past.
"Hey," Roman said casually, tipping his chin up in greeting and releasing a slow breath in an attempt to regain his composure.
"How'd you like the show tonight?" Naomi asked Lucy. If she noticed anything was amiss, she was polite enough not to comment on it.
"It was so great," Lucy said enthusiastically, "you were awesome!"
"Thanks!" Naomi said. The two women chatted back and forth for a while until Paige, Dean, and Seth all eventually joined them, and the conversation quickly switched to the excitement about their ghost tour as they made their way out of the building.
"One of the most, if not the most famous ghost to be seen around England is of course the spirit of the beheaded Anne Boleyn…" said Antonia, the guide of their ghost tour. They stood outside the Tour of London, and though they had visited the same place just hours before, the building held an air of foreboding at night.
Roman glanced at Lucy, rapt at the story about the late Queen of England. Their tour had been a great mix of history and local folklore, often weaving tales that blurred the lines between the two. She shivered slightly, from either the subject matter or the chilly breeze, and Roman wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. He looked to his right to see Dean, hyper focused on their guide, while Seth was fidgeting a little, doing his best not to show that he was scared- ghosts and horror are not his thing. Not really Roman's either, if he's being honest, but he enjoyed the tour all the same. Lucy must have noticed the same thing, as she looked at Seth's face, noticing that his eyes had gone wider than normal.
"Hey," she nudged him, speaking softly, "you good?"
Roman's mouth curved into a little smile at her concern, turning to Seth as well.
"Yeah, thanks," Seth responded with a half smile, "I'm just glad this is our last stop. Any more stories and we'd be sleeping with the lights on I think."
"At least we didn't actually see anything," Roman said, keeping his voice low so as not to interrupt Antonia, "can you imagine? Dean'd be booking us one of these in every city if a ghost had shown up."
"Small miracles," Seth said wryly.
The tour concluded, and the guide asked the group if anyone had any final questions or requests. Lucy and Dean joined her by the fence guarding the tower, firing questions off excitedly. Naomi looked equally as relieved as Seth, letting out an exhale and a grin. Roman watched as the two of them got to talking and, satisfied that everyone was temporarily distracted, approached Paige.
"So?" Roman said, raising his eyebrows and keeping his words short, but hoping she'd know what he was referring to. Judging by the pleased grin on her face, she had.
"We're all set," she said with a nod, "I'll text you the details later."
Roman stomach fluttered excitedly, and his face broke out in a wide smile.
"I owe you one," he said, glancing over at the rest of their group. He immediately stopped talking as he saw Antonia leaving with a wave, and Dean and Lucy walking in their direction.
When his alarm went off the next morning, Roman groaned and sat up to turn it off. He left the light off for now in an attempt to let Lucy sleep, ambling to the bathroom in the dark to start getting ready for another round of morning media. He washed his face with warm water, feeling marginally more awake as the fabric of the washcloth pleasantly scrubbed against his skin. He combed his hair into his usual bun, and as he began brushing his teeth, he picked up his phone with his free hand to scroll for a little bit.
He had a lot of notifications.
It wasn't unheard of- he and the boys had a decent following online, and they'd put on a great match last night. But when he opened Twitter, the photos he was flooded with weren't of him in the ring- in fact, some of them weren't of him at all. What he saw instead was photo after photo Lucy, and his heart began to pound.
Lucy and him at the airport. Lucy and Naomi chatting in the background as he posed with a couple of kids. He and Lucy in front of the Christmas tree from yesterday. The four of them in the London eye. Lucy cheering him on in the crowd at Raw. On and on it went, the same photos posted repeatedly, from every possible angle.
And of course, as these things go, people were speculating wildly, throwing out every possible theory and opinion.
Roman Reigns linked to new, unnamed female superstar.
who does this girl think she is?
guess ring rat dreams do come true
new member of the shield? oof, bad idea. they're getting desperate.
Roman can do way better.
Roman tossed his phone on the counter angrily, rinsed out his mouth and released a frustrated growl. He scrubbed his hands over his face, resisting the urge to pound his fist on the counter, if only because it might wake up Lucy.
He snatched up his phone, exited the bathroom, and knocked on the adjoining door as softly as he could possibly manage while still making it audible. Roman glanced over at Lucy, relieved to see that she was still sound asleep.
The door was opened by a sleepy looking Dean, and Roman walked quietly into his and Seth's room, letting the door close behind him.
"Have you checked your phone today?" he asked shortly, cutting right to the chase.
"I assume you're talking to him," Dean rasped, nodding his head in Seth's direction before flopping into bed and curling up in the rumpled sheets.
"I ran out first thing and just got back," Seth said, shaking his head and gesturing with a to-go cup of coffee, looking at Roman with concern, "why? What's up?"
"Look at this," he said, shoving his phone at Seth and sitting on the edge of the bed with a grunt.
Seth took a sip of his coffee and scrolled through with a look of concentration. After a minute, his eyebrows rose, and looked up at Roman with pity in his eyes.
He could feel the anger growing, and he buried his face in his hands, leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs.
"How did I not think about this part?" he groaned, "why did I not prepare for this?"
Roman lifted his face, bringing his hands together and clasping them, resting his chin on his fingers.
"How could I not have prepared her for this?" he asked, growing more and more frustrated. He didn't know where to direct his anger first.
Roman was fuming. He was mad at the people online spreading pictures of Lucy around like wildfire. He was especially angry at the ones making up rumors and spouting off disgusting opinions. Most of all, he was furious at himself for forgetting that people could be watching them anywhere, leaving Lucy completely vulnerable to this sort of thing.
"What is it?" Dean asked, alarmed, sitting up and walking over to where Seth continued to read, peering at the screen over his shoulder, "oh, shit," he muttered quietly.
Roman didn't respond, feeling as the anger continued to radiate off of him, shaking his head bitterly.
"It's not so bad," Seth said gently, setting the phone down. Roman met his eyes, shooting him a disbelieving look.
"I mean, it's not like it's anything scandalous," Seth pressed on, "people are always going to say stuff, but all things considered, it could be way worse."
"He's right," Dean agreed thoughtfully, "they could've caught you guys in that park."
"Not helping, D," Roman said gruffly, letting out a pained sigh.
"Seriously, though, it really isn't that bad," Dean said, leaving the table and sitting next to Roman, "it's a lot, and it sucks, don't get me wrong, but my bet is she'll handle it like a pro. She's a journalist, she gets how this stuff goes."
"Yeah, I guess…" Roman acquiesced, his rage dying down a fraction, "I just wished I would've warned her. Feels like I just tossed her right into the lion's den."
As Roman stewed, he remembered the lecture he'd received from his father. His frustration began to build again as he realized he would absolutely be hearing about this mess from Sika.
"Want me to see if I can get us out of the podcast this morning?" Seth offered, breaking the silence that they'd slipped into over the last few minutes.
"No, it's fine," Roman said with a shake of his head, "I could use the distraction. Thanks, though. How long have we got?"
"We need to leave in about twenty minutes," Seth answered, glancing at the hotel clock on the nightstand.
"Alright, I'll go get dressed and let you guys get ready," Roman said tiredly as he stood and made his way back to his and Lucy's room.
He stepped through the door and eased it closed quietly behind him. As he turned around, his heart sunk and his stomach dropped when he saw Lucy.
She was sitting up in bed, sheets draped across her lap, the only light in the room the glow of her phone screen as she stared down at it. She looked up at Roman as he slowly approached the bed, her face set in a soft frown, and a few glistening tears were rolling down her cheek.