Roman drifted awake, and he rolled over onto his side, wrapping his arm tightly around Lucy's middle as he did. Eyes still closed, he felt around for the edge of the blanket and pulled it up higher to rest over both of their shoulders. Lucy rolled onto her side as well, tucking tightly against him and situating herself as his little spoon. He pressed a kiss into the bare skin of her shoulder, smiling at the smell of lavender from her soft curls as they tickled his nose.
A brief replay of ropes and chairs and gasps and moans and soft fingers in his hair flashed across his memory, and Roman felt almost dizzy, his mind swirling.
While he'd been planning on surprising Lucy with this scenario since practically the second she'd straddled his lap in that hockey stadium, he couldn't have imagined how intense it would be for both of them. As he'd jogged over after the Shield match, his heart was pounding from more than just the cardio. His fingers had shaken as he unlocked the door, and he almost dropped the keys. It had taken him a moment to regain his composure when he stepped into the dark gym, but the second he'd laid eyes on her, dimly lit by the sole lamp in the corner, his nerves turned to excitement. Then he'd slipped into character, and they'd been off to the races.
It had only been toward the very end that Roman had felt his persona slip away completely. He'd had her up her knees, pressed firmly against him, quivering and moaning as he pumped in and out of her tight, warm heat, and his damn vest and gloves were the only things stopping him from feeling every single inch of her. Once he'd stripped them off, he'd pulled her back to him, pressing the silken skin of her back against his sweat soaked chest, wanting to be joined as closely together as two people could possibly be.
The way she'd looked into his eyes from the moment he'd stepped through the door, her gaze full of desire, and trust, and -
Goddamn it, he thought.
- what he desperately hoped was love.
He'd given up all pretense as he held her close, fighting the urge to cry out the words that would surely send her running for the hills. Too much. Too soon. Too fast.
And, yet…
Despite all of his efforts, the words that he had struggled to swallow had almost escaped as he'd reached his climax. He was saved by the fact that she'd taken his breath away when she'd come, moaning louder than he'd ever heard her and squeezing around him in the most heavenly way. His heart had felt like it might burst out of his chest, but thankfully his more carnal instincts took control, pushing him over the edge and leaving him momentarily, mercifully speechless.
Now, as he listened to the soft, steady breathing of a sleeping Lucy, he was relieved that he'd kept those particular thoughts quiet.
For now.
A voice in the back of his head was telling him that when it was the right time, the right moment for both of them, he would know.
Lucy stirred against him, and his eyes opened slowly, and the moment the room came into focus was the moment that Roman realized they were not in their hotel room. He slid his mouth to rest just beside Lucy's ear.
"We fell asleep," he said in a quiet voice, with a sleepy chuckle.
"Mhmm," Lucy hummed against his left arm, which she was using as a pillow, and not moving a muscle. Roman chuckled again softly, rubbing his right hand lightly across her lower back.
"As much as I want to stay right here," he said, voice a tad louder now, "I think you'll be far more comfortable in an actual bed."
Lucy made a whiny groan as she rolled to face him with tired eyes and a small, dreamy smile.
"Fine, you're probably right," she agreed in a scratchy voice that lit a tiny spark in Roman every time he heard it. The sound was evidence of a blissful sleep, of moaning of his name, of his hand around her neck, and of her swallowing him down her throat until his vision blacked out.
Lucy blinked her eyes a few times as she woke up, and her expression shifted, almost like she was calculating something. Before he could comment on it, Lucy quickly maneuvered herself on top of him and placed her hands on his shoulders, pinning him to the mat with a mischievous grin. He laughed loudly before hitting his right hand down against the canvas.
"One, two, three!" he called in the best announcer voice he could muster, smacking the mat in succession with the count. Lucy sat back on his waist and threw up her arms in victory with a giggle before bending down to kiss him, taking his face in her hands as she did, her soft curls falling in a curtain around them. He pressed his lips gently against hers, resting his hands on her thighs as he did.
"I guess we should head back before this place opens up, huh?" Lucy asked, still leaning over him, green eyes sparkling. Roman reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Probably the best plan," he agreed with a fond smile, though he made no effort to move.
"Too bad," Lucy said, looking around the ring, "I could definitely think of a few more things to try in here."
"Next time," Roman said, tracing along her thigh with his finger. Lucy turned her gaze back to him as her mouth curved into an intrigued smile.
"Next time?" she repeated, cocking an eyebrow.
"Don't forget, I've got family connections in the business, too, babe," he replied with a wink and a smirk.
The two of them made short work of getting dressed, and Roman gathered up both of their duffel bags before they took a car back to the hotel. Thankfully, it was still earlier than either of them thought, so he had plenty of time to get more sleep once they arrived. As they walked through the door, he and Lucy did little else but dump their bags in a corner and collapse into bed, falling almost immediately back into a peaceful sleep.
Late Sunday evening, after the last house show of the week, they caught a late flight and were settling into their room in Paris. This was the stop Roman was most excited for, particularly when it came to spending time with Lucy. They were, of course, going to see all the greatest hits- Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, a walk along the Seine- but hoped to see a few things outside of the tourist attractions, too, if they got the chance. They had set Thursday aside completely as a free day, so they could take it easy or come up with plans in the moment before flying to Italy on Friday morning.
"Are you hungry at all?" Lucy asked, returning to their room after setting up her toiletries in the bathroom, "I lost track of time before the show and didn't feel like stadium food, so I skipped dinner."
"You read my mind," Roman grinned up at her from where he was tucking his clothes into a drawer. He was always ravenous after a match, and his stomach was growling, "want to get some takeout?"
"Sounds great to me," she answered with a nod, "think the guys want to come over and join us? They're probably hungry, too."
"Dean definitely is," he agreed, and Lucy chuckled, "and Seth would eat too, I'm sure."
"I thought as much," Lucy said with a proud smile, "plus I know you three haven't had as much time together since I've been crashing the party. Figured maybe we'd all hang out."
Roman smiled softly to himself, sliding the drawer closed and turning to face Lucy, her eyes focused on her phone as she searched for somewhere to eat.
Truthfully, he had missed hanging out with Dean and Seth. The three of them had been attached at the hip for so long that it felt a little strange to be thrown out of the routine they'd all gotten used to. But he was thrilled that Lucy was with him, and he knew that once it just was him and the guys again that he'd miss having her here, and he wanted to savor it as much as he could.
Sharing a meal with all three of them would be the best of both worlds, and Roman was touched that Lucy had thought to suggest it- that she'd known what he needed without him saying a word. A warm feeling settled in his chest.
"Here," she said, tossing her phone to him. Roman caught it with ease as she walked over to the door, "everything sounds good, I can't decide. Want to check out our options, and I'll invite them?"
"Go for it," Roman said with a grin, turning his eyes to the screen as Lucy rapped on the door with her knuckles.
"Just a sec!" Roman heard a muffled Seth call through the door. He scrolled through a decent looking menu before he heard an equally muffled, "come in!"
Lucy pulled the door open to reveal a rather rumpled looking Dean and Seth, and Roman laughed under his breath. He'd walked in on them a time or two, and he could see from the expressions on their faces that Lucy had been smart to knock.
"What's up?" Dean asked, smoothing back his hair.
"We were gonna get some food- thought you might want to hang out and eat with us?" Lucy answered, holding the door open in invitation.
"Oh thank god," Dean answered, bouncing into the room eagerly, "I'm starving. We just got a little, um…" he said, flapping his hand towards his and Seth's room, "distracted."
Roman snorted, and looked up to see a light blush on Seth's cheeks as he followed Dean into the room.
"What are we having?" Seth asked, ignoring the knowing look Roman gave him and taking a seat at the small table in the corner.
"How about gyros?" Roman suggested, walking over and handing the phone to Seth for him to peruse, "not a lot of places are open, but this place looks pretty good and it's not far."
"I'll eat Greek food any day of the week," Lucy agreed happily, sitting on the foot of their bed. Roman joined her, pressing a kiss to her temple just because he felt like it. She leaned into his touch and snuggled up against him, resting her left hand on his right thigh.
"You know I'm not picky," Dean shrugged, taking the phone when it was offered to him and nodding quickly at the menu before handing it back to Seth.
"Cool," Lucy said, turning to rest her chin on Roman's shoulder and looking up at him, "how about we order, and then you and I can run to pick it up?"
"Sounds good," Roman agreed, and turned to give Dean and Seth a playfully threatening glare, "but don't be getting any crazy ideas while we're gone. No hanky panky on my bed."
Dean guffawed, and it was Seth's turn to snort.
"I mean, our room is right there," Seth said flatly, "we wouldn't need your bed."
"But where's the fun in that?" Dean drawled, raising his eyebrows suggestively at Seth. Roman shook his head as Lucy laughed against his shoulder.
…
Bags of food retrieved, Roman and Lucy took their time walking the short distance back to their hotel. Hand in hand, the couple took in the relatively quiet night in Paris. The streets were lined with cafes, and patisseries, and the cream colored buildings with ironwork balconies and gray roofs that Roman recognized from various movies he'd seen over the years. While this was his second European tour, they hadn't stopped in Paris the last time they were in France, so he and Lucy were seeing it all for the first time together.
"Just down there is Shakespeare and Company, the bookstore I was telling you about," Lucy said, pointing down a street as they crossed over it, "it's got a little cafe that looks out at Notre Dame attached to it."
"Can't wait," Roman said with a grin, "want to start there for coffee in the morning?"
"Probably a good idea, that way I won't be tempted to buy too many books," she said with a light laugh, "I won't want to lug them around all day."
"Hey, it's arm day for me tomorrow. Buy as many as you want, maybe I won't even need to go," he responded with an encouraging grin, "it's a win-win for everyone."
"Enabler," Lucy joked, but Roman caught an excited twinkle in her eye.
They followed the winding road until they were back at the hotel, and made their way up to the room where Dean and Seth were waiting. To Roman's relief, it looked like they had not, in fact, fooled around on his bed. Food was passed around and everyone settled in to eat- Lucy and Seth sat at the table while Roman and Dean opted for the floor, in an attempt to keep the bed free of crumbs and tzatziki.
"So, how's your first tour going so far, Luce?" Dean asked, "getting sick of this one yet?" he continued, hooking his thumb at Roman before taking a large bite of his pita.
"Nah, not yet," she said, skewering a piece of lamb on her fork and throwing a quick wink at Roman, "but man, they do keep you guys moving. How do you even remember where you are each night? I feel like I'd always be worried about saying the wrong city in a promo or something."
"I can honestly say I've never been worried about that," Seth said with crinkled eyebrows, pointing at Lucy with the french fry held between his fingers, "but I am now."
"Sorry," Lucy said with a sheepish laugh as Dean and Roman both chuckled.
Roman swallowed a mouthful of food and smiled to himself. Though she might not have realized it, Lucy had adapted remarkably quickly to the road life- much better than he had in the beginning. The previous day, Roman had gone to the gym with Seth in the morning, and came back to pack up his things to bring to the venue. He'd found that Lucy had already packed all of her bags before he got there, and had even gathered his things into a central location so that he could pack quickly, too. She had their schedule down pat, and places picked out to visit in each city, with back up plans in case their events changed, as they so often did.
"Honestly, though, you get used to the schedule," Dean said, "or at least, you get used to not really having a traditional schedule. The unpredictable becomes, well, predictable, I guess."
"Yeah, once you're in the bubble, it's the only way you know how to live, I think," Seth agreed, "the harder part- for me, anyway- is the home stuff. Putting in the work to see family and friends in the little time we have off, and remembering what life is like outside of all of this- that's what's tough to get the hang of."
Roman nodded his agreement, and he saw Lucy chewing thoughtfully as she listened.
"Your mom getting onto you about Thanksgiving again?" Roman asked, catching Seth's eyes over his styrofoam container of food.
"I think she's finally let it go, considering it's in four days and I'm on another continent," Seth said in a resigned tone, "but yeah, every year."
"You'll make it up to her at Christmas," Dean said, nudging Seth's foot with his own. Seth nodded before taking another bite of his dinner.
One of the perks of coming from a wrestling family was that Roman's parents and siblings all understood when he had to miss holidays and birthdays, but it was still hard for them. Seth's family, he knew, were incredibly supportive of his career, but they had a rough time accepting that he wasn't around very much. They didn't hold back when reminding him, often, that he was missing out on important family time.
"My parents weren't exactly thrilled, either," Lucy admitted, drawing Roman's attention. She hadn't mentioned that her parents were upset about her not being home for the holiday to him. Seeing as it was entirely his fault, she may have been trying to spare him the guilt of taking her away from her family plans at the last minute, he reasoned.
Great, that'll make for a perfect first impression, he thought wryly.
"What did…" Roman toyed around how to phrase his question, "how did you explain to them? I mean, I'm assuming you told them about…us?" he pointed back and forth between Lucy and himself.
As soon as it left his mouth, he realized that this might be a conversation better had in private. Even if Dean and Seth were, well, Dean and Seth. But if Lucy was uncomfortable, it didn't show, and the guys were simply listening with interest.
"Of course," she said, with a soft laugh, "I didn't go into, like, a crazy amount of detail or anything. I told them that I had started seeing someone, and had the chance to explore some of the places I'd dreamed about visiting for so long with that new someone. They're both a bit overprotective and, like I said, they weren't thrilled. But I'm happy to be here, and I think, deep down, they ultimately want me to be happy. So here I am," she finished with a small grin and nonchalant shrug, before popping a stray piece of tomato in her mouth.
"The first one's the hardest, I think," Dean chimed in, and Lucy turned her attention to him, "I feel like most people are all gung ho and tell you to go for your dreams- until it affects them, you know? Then all of a sudden their tune changes. Once they see that the world keeps on turning, and that you haven't forgotten all about them, they'll come around."
"And they forget that it's just as hard for us, sometimes," Roman agreed, "that we miss them just as much as they miss us. But you get used to that part, too."
"At least for me, this probably won't be as regular of a thing," Lucy said, "which I pointed out to them, numerous times. My mom was convinced that you were stealing me away and taking me on tour with you until the end of time."
They all laughed, and as the conversation continued, a twinge of disappointment nudged at Roman. He'd thought about it once or twice, and though he wanted to, he couldn't come up with a logical way to bring Lucy with him on tours more often. It wouldn't be fair to ask her to sacrifice her regular life, or to switch jobs to something she could do on the road just because he'd miss her all the time, especially not this early on. And who knows if she'd even want to do that? It was selfish of him, and he knew that he had to take his own advice - make the time that you have count.
"I am gonna miss that pumpkin pie on Thursday," Seth said, interrupting his thoughts with a wistful half smile, spearing an olive on his fork, "there's nothing quite like mom's home cooking."
The whole group murmured their agreement, and they went on to discuss the various specialties their families made for Thanksgiving - pies, casseroles, potatoes of every type. As they spoke, Roman noticed that Lucy occasionally stared off, like her mind was drifting elsewhere. Not in a way that looked like she was upset or confused, but like she was deep in thought. He made a mental note to ask her about it later, and though his curiosity about her relationship with her parents continued to linger, he resolved not to pry.
"The hotel is just a few blocks down," Roman said, easily balancing a stack of books that Lucy was struggling to decide between, "I have plenty of time to drop these off, and I need to grab my gear anyway. You don't have to choose."
Lucy furrowed her brow, gingerly pulling a book from the middle of the stack and looking it over.
They'd started their morning off just as they'd planned, with coffee and pastries at Shakespeare and Company. Once they'd finished their breakfast, he and Lucy had taken their time wandering through the stacks of the bookstore side, and if there was a place Roman could have dreamt up to bring her to, this would have been it. Room after room, the store was covered in tall bookshelves, scattered fireplaces, and typewriters anchored onto the aged, wallpapered walls. He'd bet good money that she'd be back here at least once before they left France. The cities for each show were close enough to Paris that they'd decide to stay in the same hotel and drive to each one, instead of bouncing around, so she would certainly have the opportunity to visit again.
Lucy would be sightseeing solo the rest of the day before coming to the Raw taping, and since Roman hadn't been booked for any media this morning, he'd taken advantage of the small window of free time.
"Yes, but," Lucy said, twisting her mouth to the side as she thought out loud, "how on Earth would I fit all of these in my luggage?
"I could pack a few," Roman suggested, "I'm not trying to rush you, we've got time, but I'm just saying if you want them, get them- we'll figure out getting them all home safe and sound, I promise."
"You're a bad influence, you know" she said, grinning up at him from a hefty tome on rococo art. Roman smirked and took a few steps forward, forcing Lucy to walk backwards until her back was pressed against the wall, effectively pinned in place by the books he was holding. She snapped the book closed as her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open slightly.
"If I wanted to be a bad influence," he said, lowering his voice to just above a whisper as leaned over her, "I would take you to your knees right here in this bookshop."
She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply, visibly fighting to maintain her composure while they were in public. Roman chuckled, pleased at her eager reaction, before stepping back and freeing her. Lucy took a deep breath, a flush coloring her face now. She placed the book back on the pile in his arms and cleared her throat, looking around to make sure no one was within ear shot.
"So you're just calling out my fantasies right and left now?" she asked with a bashful giggle.
"Again, babe," he said, grinning down at her, "not exactly a hard one to guess."
"Oh yeah?" she said, looking up at him with a heated expression, "and what are you going to do about it?"
Roman stepped forward and pinned her in place once again. He bent down and pressed his mouth to hers as one of her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him into her. Her other hand rested on his bicep, running her finger over the raised "L" shaped scar beneath his tattoo as she slid her tongue into his mouth. Lucy released a barely audible sound as he kissed her passionately, and she matched his energy with her soft, urgent lips. They exchanged kisses for a minute or two, and Roman was thankful that it was early on a Monday morning, and that they'd found themselves in a dark, secluded section of the store. When they finally pulled apart, Roman found himself wishing he had time to whisk her back to the hotel room and make her scream his name, and judging by the look on her face, Lucy was thinking the same thing.
"You sure know how to leave a girl wanting more," she said, fixing her tousled hair.
"Mmm," Roman said with a grin, "to be continued, then," he promised.
As the Shield walked up the ramp, Roman wiped a dribble of blood from his lip once the cameras were focused elsewhere, and the three of them headed backstage. They'd put up Daniel Bryan in their signature triple power bomb, and Roman had accidentally taken a boot to the face, busting him open a little bit.
"Let's get ya to medical," Dean said, looking over at him as they turned the corner out of gorilla.
"It's just a cut, it's fine," Roman said, waving him off.
"Then we'll be in and out real quick," Seth said, flanking him on his left. Roman looked back and forth between his brothers- both of their expressions leaving no room for argument. The three of them had an unspoken agreement that they would get injuries checked, so nothing ever turned into something that would compromise the whole group. He'd pushed both of them to see the trainer more times than he could count, and he knew that they would drag him if he didn't go willingly.
"Yeah, yeah," Roman said, resigned, "alright, let's head that way."
It was a quiet night as far as injuries went, and just as Seth predicted, the trainer had looked over his split lip quickly and confirmed that it was fine, and advised him just to keep it clean as it healed.
They showered off and changed, and by the time they were finished, the show had ended. Roman made his way to the backstage viewing area and found Lucy and Paige sitting together and talking. Lucy looked up at him with a smile as he approached, and stood up to kiss him. Roman winced as their lips met, and Lucy pulled back, running her finger gently over his lip next to the small cut with a worried look.
"Oh, sorry, babe," she said, "how is it? Are you going to need stitches or anything?"
"Nah, it's fine," he said, smiling appreciatively at her concern, "I'd forgotten about it after my shower, actually."
"You two will just have to suffer a few days without kissing," Seth teased, walking up to join them with his bag slung over his shoulder, Dean following closely behind him.
"Hmmm," Lucy said, making a show of letting her eyes roam over Roman, "I guess we can focus on…other things."
Paige let out a laugh as Dean chuckled and gave her a lopsided grin, holding out his hand for a fist bump, which Lucy returned with a self satisfied smile. Seth gave her a good natured eye roll.
"And on that note," Seth said, "we're going to grab a late dinner. See you guys later."
He and Dean waved their goodbyes, and once they were gone, Paige turned to Roman with a grin.
"So, I hear Lucy got the pin on you," she said, raising her eyebrows, her voice lifting at the end to make the statement sound more like a question.
"You hear correctly," he chuckled. He then turned his gaze to Lucy, meeting the green eyes that were looking up at him brightly, "she's got me down for the count, alright," he finished, his tone sincere.
Her smile and eyes softened, and suddenly all Roman could see was her, as she looked at him with that expression once again. The one that made his heart soar; the one that gave him hope that he was not alone in his deep, ever growing affection.
Out of the corner of his eye, Roman saw Paige practically tip toeing away, leaving the two of them to their moment. Smart woman.
He bent down and placed his forehead against Lucy's, sliding up his hand to gently cup her face as he closed his eyes. She wrapped her arms around his waist.
"You know," she said quietly, "I would really love to kiss you right about now."
Roman breathed out a soft laugh and brushed his lips across her cheek.
"How about we get out of here?" he suggested, lifting his head to meet her eyes once more.
Lucy smiled, took his hand, and Roman was walking on air as they headed out.
…
After a quiet dinner at a small cafe, where they'd caught one another up on their respective days - the Louvre for her, a long workout and Raw for him- the couple sipped the best hot chocolate Roman had ever tasted as they strolled along the Seine. It was a clear night, the moon was reflecting on the water, and they could make out a few scattered stars amid the shining lights, the brightest of which being the light show shimmering on the Eiffel Tower. They stood on a bridge and watched it happily for a few minutes in a contented silence.
"I've dreamt about this scenario, almost exactly, so many times," Lucy murmured, turning her head away from the view to smile at him.
"Almost exactly, huh?" Roman asked curiously, "something missing that I can help with?"
"Are you kidding?" she replied with a surprised giggle, "this is better than I ever could have dreamed of."
"Likewise, beautiful," he said truthfully, mirroring her starry eyed smile.
Roman took a sip from his cup as Lucy turned her gaze back to the city, letting the warm, rich chocolate run down his throat. A cool breeze blew, and she slid more tightly up against him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and as the river flowed and the lights twinkled, he thought again about wanting to have more moments like this with her- taking her to all the places she'd always wanted to go. He was reminded, then, of the conversation from the previous evening.
"I know you're happy to be here," he began, "but I am sorry it had to be over Thanksgiving. I didn't even think about that when we were setting everything up, and I should have."
"Oh, Ro," Lucy said, her tone reassuring as she met his eyes, "don't apologize. My parents weren't happy, but I actually think it's pretty special. It'll definitely be a holiday I'll never forget, and it's the first one that we get to spend together."
Roman felt relief immediately wash over him.
"And honestly, before I left, my dad said that he wasn't even that surprised," she said with a smile, the corners of her eyes lifting, "I've been talking about seeing the whole world, and especially Paris, for as long as he can remember. Mom…well, she'll come around," she finished with a sigh, expression neutral.
"You don't talk about them much," he hedged, internally debating whether or not he was pushing his luck. They'd been having a beautiful evening and he didn't want to ruin it. She was contemplative for a moment, and he remained quiet, waiting (mostly) patiently for her to respond.
"We're not-" she began, pausing briefly before continuing, "I'm not super close with them anymore, really," she paused again, chewing on her lip before turning to look at him head on.
"There was some stuff that happened," she said tentatively, "with an ex of mine."
Roman's stomach dropped.
Yep, that'll kill date night, he thought, angry at himself for bringing this up against his better judgment.
"You and I haven't, um, gotten around to talking about that stuff, really," she continued, "and I promise, I'm not trying to hide anything, but there's never a great time to bring up exes, you know?" she asked warily, her eyes searching his. He rested his hand on hers, stroking his thumb gently along the back of her hand.
"It's always a little awkward," he agreed, "and it's not like our timeline has been exactly normal here. Usually the exes conversation happens before a trip around the world," he said with a half smile, attempting to lighten the mood. She graciously gave him a small smile.
"True," she nodded. She fell quiet again for another moment or two.
"Long story extremely short," she finally continued, "my relationship with him caused a rift between my parents and me- a few of my friends, too- and it's never really gotten back on track. We've all tried our best to move past it- for the most part, anyway. But the damage is done."
Roman nodded solemnly, unsure of exactly how to proceed. It seemed like this was a touchy subject, and he didn't want to cross any lines or push too hard.
"But believe me when I say," she said emphatically, "that they are going to love you when you meet them. My mom especially."
He perked up at that.
"When I meet them?" he echoed, doing his best to keep the thrill out of his voice. She smiled fondly at him.
"I believe that's what I said," she said with a nod, smile widening. He felt a fuzzy feeling slowly replacing the uncertainty that had been there moments before.
Lucy looked a bit lighter, as well, though it did seem like memories were still plaguing the edges of her thoughts.
"And I swear," she said, tone firm, "I'll fill you in on all the details before you meet them. Just…can that wait until we're back home?" she asked quietly.
Kicking himself mentally once more for starting this conversation in the middle of the most romantic city in the world, Roman brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently.
"Of course it can, sweetheart," he said, giving her a meaningful look, "you can tell me everything, whenever you're ready."
…
Back in their hotel room, they were getting ready to settle in and watch a movie before going to sleep. They had the door to their balcony open, letting the cool night air in, and Lucy rubbed her arms in her thin pajamas before wrapping her soft green blanket around her shoulders. Roman went over to his bag and pulled out a worn red sweatshirt he'd thrown in for just such an occasion.
"Here, baby," he said, tossing it gently on the bed in front of her, "to add to your collection."
Lucy smiled and grabbed the offered sweatshirt, standing up and letting the blanket fall to the ground. She pulled it over her head and down over hips, pulling her hair through the collar and spinning around playfully for him. Her fingertips were barely visible, and red continued to be a color he loved on her.
"Looks perfect," he grinned.
"It's so cozy," she said, "thank you."
He let his eyes linger on her for a minute longer, once again enthralled by the sight of this gorgeous woman gleefully wearing his clothes.
"You know," she said in a sing-song tone, "I think you keep giving me things to wear because you like to mark your territory," she raised an eyebrow as her lips curved into a grin.
She doesn't miss a trick, he thought.
"And so what if I do?" Roman said, voice low, challenging. His darkened eyes stared into hers.
"I'm not complaining," Lucy said, voice breathy as she maintained eye contact, "but you know there are other ways to do that, too."
Roman chuckled, taking a few steps to close the gap between them. He swept her soft curls off of her neck with his hand, running his thumb over her pulse point. He felt her heartbeat going crazy as her breathing grew more labored.
"And what, exactly, did you have in mind?" he asked huskily. Lucy looked up at him through her lashes.
"I trust you to be creative," she said, eyes alight, which was the best possible answer, "though at the moment I really just want to kiss you senseless."
He lowered his head to her shoulder, ghosting his breath along her neck, and felt her shiver beneath him. He lifted his head to see that her eyes had fallen closed, and that her lips were slightly parted, looking impossibly tempting.
"Fuck it, I can take it," Roman said, stepping back, sitting on the edge of their bed and pulling her down, pressing his mouth into hers. Lucy rested her hands on his shoulders as he parted his lips, welcoming her tongue with his.
There was a small stinging sensation and Roman tasted the tang of blood. Lucy must have noticed it, too, because she pulled back and studied his lip with a concerned expression. She had a tiny red streak smeared across her bottom lip and chin, but she didn't seem to notice.
"Ooh, come on," she said, tugging at his hand, "I've got some first aid stuff. Let's get you cleaned up."
He followed her into the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the bathtub as she rifled through a small bag, pulling out a small packet of cotton balls and a miniature bottle of alcohol and setting them on the counter.
"Were you that worried that I'd get injured while we were here?" he asked with an amused smile as he saw that the bag was also full of gauze, bandages, and a few other tubes and small bottles.
"Don't flatter yourself," she joked, pointing to herself, "accident prone- remember, no sharp objects?" he nodded with a light laugh, "I always pack this, just in case," she zipped the bag shut and turned to him, "though I may have brought a little bit extra," she admitted with a grin.
She dampened one of the cotton balls with alcohol and walked over to him, and Roman tilted his chin up, parting his lips to give her better access. She began to dab at his lip gently, concentration evident on her face. The alcohol had its usual small sting, but her touch was soft, and she held him in place easily under his jaw. Roman hummed, feeling warmth radiating within him.
"Am I hurting you?" Lucy asked, pausing her movements and flicking her eyes up to his.
Roman shook his head, keeping the movement small so as not to break out of her gentle hold, his lips curving just slightly at the edges.
"Let me know," she said with a small, affectionate smile, turning her focus back to his injury and resuming her task. He basked in her sweet, delicate touches, relishing in the intimacy of being so gently cared for.
Once she was satisfied that he was sufficiently tended to, she pressed a quick peck to his forehead.
"Good as new," she declared, tossing the cotton ball into the waste bin and tucking the alcohol away.
Roman stepped up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing into her. He reached forward with his free hand and turned on the sink, grabbing a rolled up washcloth next to it and running it under the flow.
"Hey," he said, and she looked up into the mirror, where his reflection was smiling at hers, "let me get that, baby."
Her eyes shifted to look at her own reflection, eyes widening slightly when she saw the tiny red streak on her lip.
"Fair is fair," he rumbled, looking deep into her eyes as reached up slowly, cloth in hand. He held her tightly around her waist, and her eyes sparkled as he wiped at her lip gently, and she leaned into his firm hold, chest rising and falling as her breaths deepened. He took his time, dragging the small, white towel over her lip in soft motions, diligently cleaning her plush mouth.
He discarded the washcloth, and let his arm join his other around her waist, pulling her flush against him now. Their reflections continued to stare into one another's eyes, and Lucy, ever so subtly, ground her ass back into him. Roman smirked and released a small growl.
"Bed?" he asked, pressing his growing erection into her.
"Bed," she agreed with a wide grin, "and don't worry, Superman, I'll be gentle."