The next morning, Lucy woke up to Roman crawling into bed and gently brushing her hair off of her face.
"Morning," he said in a sweet, low rumble. She let her eyes flutter open to find him looking down at her with warm eyes and a soft smile, and it made her feel like she'd been turned inside out in the best way.
"Hey, baby," she said dreamily, and she released a pleased sigh as he bent down to kiss her gingerly, being cautious of his healing injury. His plush lips were soft against hers, and his hand settled on her hip. Lucy covered it with her own, lacing their fingers together. They took their time exchanging gentle kisses and soft caresses, and she hummed as Roman's breath ghosted over her when they finally pulled apart.
"Mmm," she mused, "you know, I'm starting to get used to being woken up like this," she brushed her fingers along his jaw while looking into his warm brown eyes, "I think you might be turning me into a morning person."
"Oh yeah?" he asked, his smile growing, "what would you say if I told you I brought you coffee?"
"I'd say you better get back down here so that I can say thank you," she answered with a grin, tugging at the collar of his sweatshirt.
They exchanged a few more soft, sweet kisses as he settled into bed, removing his shirt and tossing it across the room.
"How'd it go this morning?" Lucy asked, tracing over the patterns on his inked chest lazily with her finger.
"It was good. Lot of people came out to see us," he said, sounding pleased, "my wrist is sore now, though. I fight for a living, you'd think I'd be able to take a few hours of signing my name," he chuckled, twisting the offending wrist in the air.
"I bet I could kiss it better," she said, lacing her tone with innuendo and looking him right in the eye.
She reached up and grabbed at his wrist, bringing down to her mouth to place a soft kiss right on his pulse point. Before she could continue, however, Roman rolled himself to lie on top of her, meeting her eyes.
"I think that might be exactly what I need right now," he said, his bass voice sparking a fire inside of her. He was intentionally pinning her to the bed with his weight, and he held his wrist over back over her mouth, looking at her expectantly. Lucy grinned and licked a stripe over his skin before kissing it again.
As she did so, she felt Roman sliding his hand in between her thighs. His fingers lingered on her skin as he made his way to her panties, and Lucy released an eager breath as began to tug them off. Once Roman had her naked from the waist down, his fingers found her clit, and Lucy moaned softly.
"Shhh," Roman said with a smirk. He dragged his arm so that his hand gently covered her mouth, "don't want Dean and Seth to know what we're getting up to right now."
Lucy didn't give a damn if the entire roster knew what they were doing at this very second- the glint in his eye and the feel of his hand covering her mouth was making her drip from her core. She closed her eyes as his fingers worked her over, biting her lip beneath his palm, and Roman's expression was proud, and slightly smug, when he felt the movement.
"That's it, baby," he said encouragingly, "that's a good girl, staying quiet."
The praise from his lips combined with the coarse pad of his finger against her clit made her want to scream out a string of obscenities, and judging from the expression on Roman's face, he knew exactly what he was doing. It would have been maddening if he hadn't taken that moment to slide a finger inside of her, and then she forgot how to be frustrated, focusing instead on chasing more, more, more. She arched her back, pushing her hips up towards him, and Roman chuckled softly..
"Fuck, you look good like this," he said, his tone low and just this side of a growl, "but I think you want more than just a finger or two, don't you?"
Lucy nodded frantically, breathing heavily as he punctuated his statement by pulling out his finger and thrusting in a second alongside it.
"Now, if I pull my hand away from your mouth, you're not going to make a sound, right?" he asked, and Lucy nodded again.
He slowly drifted his hand down, brushing over her nipples, hard and poking through the thin fabric of the red camisole that she had absolutely worn on purpose. He let his fingers drift there for a minute, circling the sensitive nubs. Lucy wanted to moan so badly, but she instead slid her hands into Roman's hair, pulling him down to her in a rough kiss. He kissed her back, tongue finding hers and matching her enthusiasm as he continued to pump his fingers in and out of her soaking pussy.
He pulled back from the kiss at the same time that he removed his fingers, and Lucy let out a barely audible whine. Roman shot her a look, but seemed to give her a pass as he stood up to rid himself of his pants and underwear, all while maintaining eye contact with her. Lucy took the opportunity to slide off her camisole, shivering as the air hit her already peaked nipples and goosebumps formed on her skin.
Roman lowered himself to the bed, sitting crossed legged in front of her, giving his hardened cock a few languid strokes as he looked into her eyes darkly.
"Come here, doll," he said, and Lucy was only too happy to comply.
She crawled over to him, and he released himself to pull her into his lap with a hand under each knee, spreading her thighs apart and pulling her flush against him so they were face to face. She wrapped her legs around his hips, fighting back another moan as he bent his head and slipped her right nipple into his warm mouth, flicking at it with the point of his tongue. Lucy braced her arms on his shoulders as he lifted her up, his strong hands lifting her by her ass, positioning her waiting pussy above his cock. He lowered her down in an agonizingly slow motion, his mouth now teasing her left nipple as he filled her, inch by inch, until she was fully seated on his lap.
"God damn, you always feel so good," Roman grunted out. He straightened his legs and planted his feet, fucking up into her. Lucy couldn't agree more. She dug her fingers into the meat of his shoulder, resting her forehead against his as he stretched her open, the incredible fullness making her eyes roll and her heart pound.
She let her head fall back as he continued to fuck her, closing her eyes as sweat began to drip down between her breasts as they bounced. He carefully tilted backwards so that her knees rested on the mattress, and he leaned back on his hands, thrusting up even harder. Lucy found her balance and began to ride him in earnest, matching every upward snap of his hips. Roman's mouth found her favorite spot, his lips and tongue and teeth marking their place on the side of her neck. Lucy slid one hand down to flick at his nipples, the other hand wrapping around the back of his head to hold him in place, swallowing a moan. She felt more than heard the groan he made, and his pace increased, his cock pounding powerfully into her now.
"Ro, fuck, baby," she said in almost a whimper, as softly and restrained as she could manage. She was there, she was right there, on the verge of exploding. Something about Roman made her insatiable, and she was like a dam waiting to burst.
"I changed my mind," Roman said, panting as he lifted his head from her neck, sweat glimmering on his face as he continued to pound her relentlessly, meeting her eyes as his mouth curved into a half smirk, "let 'em hear it, babe. I want you to let everyone in this damn hotel know exactly how good I'm making you feel," he said, closing his eyes and releasing a groan before finding her nipples again, grazing them with his teeth before swirling his tongue around.
"Oh, oh," Lucy cried out, feeling the most wonderful burn in her thighs as she rode him faster, chasing her release, "fuck, yes, oh god, Roman," she nearly screamed, and then it was happening. Ecstasy flowed through her, her pussy clenching and fluttering around his cock, dripping down her thighs, her head swimming as her moans grew unintelligible, the warm, bronze skin of his shoulders under her fingertips her only anchor as she rode out her orgasm.
"Damn, baby," he choked out, slowing his thrusts for a moment as her tremors wore off, "that was…damn…" his eyes were dark and burning into hers, his dark curls wet with perspiration.
Her breathing labored, Lucy bent down to kiss him fiercely, and began to ride him again, determined to make him come, moaning as her sensitivity heightened every sensation.
"Fuck," he half whispered, half moaned, and sped up his thrusts to meet her, "fuck, fuck, that's it, god, just like that," he forced out in between heavy breaths.
Roman wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him until there was no space between them, his fingers digging into the flesh of her waist and the swell of her ass, cursing and pounding into her until he groaned, spilling inside of her with a deep, hard thrust. Lucy continued to ride him as he pumped her full, moaning at the feeling. She gradually slowed her movements, finally stopping to sit on his lap, his softening cock still inside of her. Roman's hands rested on her waist, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he caught his breath.
"I, uh," he said, in between heavy breaths, flitting his eyes up to hers, "when you moaned my name like that..so loud…," he started and stopped again, his cheeks reddening, "that was, um," he took another breath, looking flustered, "I really liked that."
Lucy grinned, letting out a euphoric, slightly dazed giggle.
"Yeah?" she asked in a sultry tone, angling herself back to meet his eyes, making them both groan a little. He gave her grin and nodded, still panting and looking slightly embarrassed at the admission.
"I'll keep that in mind," she promised, lacing her voice with reassurance and sweeping his damp hair gently off of his forehead before cupping his jaw.
She bent down and brushed her lips over his before rising to her knees, easing him gently out of her as she did. She reclined against the fluffy pillows, and Roman sprawled beside her on his back, using her stomach as a pillow and gliding his hand over her thighs in a repetitive, soothing motion. Lucy couldn't tear her eyes away from him- his beautiful face looked so at peace as she ran her fingers through his hair, sliding through the silky tendrils from root to tip, his chest rising and falling gently. With her free hand she traced the freckles that trailed over his cheeks and nose with her fingertips. Roman sighed contentedly, all traces of embarrassment gone.
The two of them had almost fallen back asleep when Roman's stomach grumbled loudly, and they laughed together as he sat up.
"That'll teach me to skip breakfast when I'm coming back to you," he said with a chuckle before crossing the room to grab the coffee he'd brought for both of them, setting it on the nightstands and rejoining her in bed.
She sat up and scooted herself to sit up against the headboard, and as she once again noticed the familiarity of the whole scene, she felt her butterflies beginning to flutter.
"Can I tell you something?" she asked shyly, unsure of why she felt nervous all of a sudden.
"Of course you can," he said, turning on his side to face her, his face serene.
"I noticed it the other day, and was just reminded now," she pointed around the hotel room, and then gestured at the two of them in bed, "all of this, sort of- it sort of feels like we're…home. Doesn't it?"
Roman cocked his head, looking a little confused, and Lucy suddenly felt self conscious, like she might be on her own with this one, but she continued on, fidgeting with her coffee cup as she did so.
"I don't know, maybe it's strange, but since we had our first date in a hotel room," she explained, "and spent our first night together in one, and it's where we had our first kiss, and all that- it feels…natural? To be in one, together, again."
Lucy saw when the recognition dawned on him, and a smile appeared on his face, his eyes aglow with adoration.
"I love that you see it that way," he said genuinely, stroking her cheek gently with the back of his finger, "and that you feel at home with me."
And there it was again, the warm feeling that showed up whenever Roman made her feel seen. She leaned forward and placed another soft kiss on his lips, inhaling the faint scent of his coconut shampoo, and felt his large hand as it settled against the expanse of her ribs, and the tenderness of it all made her heart almost burst.
Yeah. This is maybe, definitely what home feels like.
Roman pressed his lips against her forehead before he retrieved his coffee and took a long sip.
Today was the first since they'd arrived in Paris that he would get a chance for some down time, and the two of them were looking forward to a day together without a completely jam packed schedule. He'd had the signing with the guys early in the morning and they'd worked out after, but now the rest of the day was free until Smackdown, which had a late afternoon call time.
They laid together for a while, nuzzling, recovering, and drinking their lattes before Roman announced that he had also brought muffins, and they bundled themselves up in their coziest clothes to enjoy them on the balcony and plan out the rest of their day.
Though he'd seen countless pictures and video footage over the years, visiting Notre Dame was far more impressive than Roman could have imagined. It was just before noon as he and Lucy strolled through the cathedral, and the sun was streaming through the iconic stained glass rose window, enhancing the stunning blue and purple hues. The room was quiet, save for the shuffling noises as they and the rest of the visitors cautiously explored the expansive building. They stepped into a nearly empty corridor, footsteps echoing as they crossed beneath a large marble archway. Lucy's face was one of quiet awe, and he was sure that his own was just the same. Neither one said too much, not wanting to disrupt the hushed, reverent atmosphere, instead exchanging impressed looks.
Once their tour concluded, they stepped outside and Roman blinked as his eyes readjusted to the sunlight. Smiling up at him, Lucy's green eyes shone in the sun, her chestnut brown curls draping over the shoulders of the royal purple coat she wore. He pulled out his phone and took a few steps backwards, holding it out in front of him.
"Smile," he said, and Lucy happily struck a pose. He snapped a few pictures before she ran to his side, nudging at him to take her place in front of the cathedral.
"I want one of you, too!" she exclaimed, retrieving her own phone from the pocket of her coat.
Roman laughed a little and smiled, letting her take photos from a few different angles until she was satisfied. Just as he was going to rejoin her, his phone vibrated in his pocket, and Roman pulled it out to see Seth's name on the screen. He hardly ever called, so this probably had to do with work. Grimacing, he held the screen up to show Lucy.
"Tell him I said hi," she said cheerfully, and Roman gave her a grateful smile. He didn't like interrupting their limited time together, but it was bound to happen from time to time, and he was relieved that she didn't seem annoyed.
"Hey Seth," he said, walking towards the river and leaning on the bridge as he spoke.
"Hey uce," Seth said, tone all business, "I just got the call - turns out some of the guys got injured in the main event last night, so we're booked for the special live event on Thursday- they want us to open the show against Punk and some others."
Roman wasn't thrilled about losing out on part of his day off, but it was hardly unusual when they were on tour, and they never turned down a match if they could help it.
"OK, that's cool," he replied, "opening's good, too, maybe we'll be able to head out after."
"That'd be nice," Seth agreed, "anyway, I'll let you get back. See you later."
"See ya," Roman said, turning around to look for Lucy before spotting her amongst the crowd of people milling around, taking a few more photos, "Lucy says hi. She said to tell you," he added quickly with an easy laugh.
"Tell her I said hi and bye," Seth chuckled, "oh, and by the way- Dean and I caught that little show the two of you put on after we got back this morning," he continued, a note of teasing in his voice, "the walls are paper thin."
His face heated as he remembered encouraging Lucy to be vocal towards the end of their morning tryst.
"Hey look at that," Roman said before loudly clearing his throat, "my phone is dying. Gotta go- bye, Seth."
"Bye, brother," Seth said, his nasal laugh echoing through the phone as Roman hung up.
He wandered back over to Lucy, and she looked up at him with imploring eyes.
"One more picture before we leave?" she asked hopefully, "will you take one of us together?"
He mentally added 'actually remembering to take pictures' to the list of positive impacts that Lucy was having on him.
"I'll take two, just for good measure," he said with a nod, and she snuggled happily against his side.
He put on a natural smile and stretched his arm out long as it would go, doing his best to capture both of them and the towering cathedral.
"Would you like me to take your picture?" an older woman asked from a few steps away. She wore a broad, unassuming smile, a large sunhat, and had a fanny pack around her waist. A man around the same age stood next to her, clad in similar utilitarian clothing. If he had to guess, he'd say the odds were pretty good that she was another tourist who was traveling around with her partner, simply being kind to them.
Still, Roman was hesitant, having heard horror stories about people posing as tourists and snatching your things, especially at big attractions like Notre Dame. Not to mention the less than kind fans who'd spread pictures of the two of them around like wildfire. These two didn't look to be that type, but he was feeling extra protective with Lucy around.
"That would be so nice, thank you," Lucy said eagerly, and before he could interject she handed over her phone. He held his breath, his smile a little more fixed as he prayed that he wouldn't have to sprint after this woman to chase down the phone and drum up some really interesting headlines. Thankfully, she quickly took a few steps back, snapped a few pictures, and handed the phone back to Lucy.
"Thank you," he said to her and her partner genuinely, releasing a relieved breath.
"Would you like one of you two?" Lucy offered, and the woman looked genuinely surprised.
"Goodness me," she replied with a laugh, "I can't remember the last time I've had my picture taken. We don't pose for them much these days- we don't want to capture all of these wrinkles."
"But how often are you in Paris?" Lucy countered, her tone sweet but persuasive, "you need at least one picture for the scrapbook."
The woman and her partner exchanged a look, and he stepped forward and swiftly handed his phone to Lucy before wrapping his arm around the woman's shoulder.
"Come on, Ethel," he said, his tone gruff, "smile pretty for the young lady."
Ethel let out a few titters and obliged, allowing Lucy to take a couple of shots before she returned her phone to the couple. They both looked down at the screen, smiling wistfully at the picture.
"Thank you, dear," Ethel said, and Lucy beamed.
Roman's heart swelled as he watched the exchange, noticing how truly touched the pair seemed to be by Lucy's simple gesture of returning their favor.
The four of them waved to each other as they went their separate ways, and as they walked in the general direction of their next stop, he squeezed her hand extra tightly.
…
"Everything OK with Seth?" Lucy asked, ripping off the end of a fresh croissant and popping into her mouth.
They were having a picnic lunch at the Champ de Mars, a sprawling grassy spot with beautiful scenic views of the Eiffel Tower. They'd visited a nearby market and picked up some cheese, fruit, and meats to go along with their croissants, as well as fresh hot coffees to keep them warm.
"Oh, yeah," Roman answered, realizing the call that slipped his mind as soon as he hung up, "all good, but I am going to have to work on Thursday night. There've been a few injuries, and they're wanting us to open at the house show."
He was expecting her to be disappointed, but to his surprise Lucy looked completely unbothered by the change in schedule.
"Good thing we left that day flexible," she said casually, shrugging, "I know you thought that this was a possibilty."
That was…not the response he was expecting. They'd been looking forward to spending Thanksgiving together, even if it wasn't going to be in the traditional way that either of them would typically celebrate.
Once they had eaten to their fill, they tucked their food away, and Lucy settled against him, his arms wrapped around her waist as they admired the view. There was a crisp breeze, the ground was littered in red and orange leaves, and the sky was a soft gray, the sun having retreated behind the clouds. It was a perfect autumn day, save for the nagging feeling in the back of his mind.
"So wait, he tied you up with the tag ropes?" Naomi asked Lucy, incredulous, as Lucy and Paige erupted into laughter at her scandalized face, though even Lucy was blushing a little.
At breakfast Wednesday morning, Lucy and Roman had been eating with Seth and Dean in the small breakfast nook in their hotel, and they ran into Naomi and Jimmy. Naomi had an appointment later in the day to get a manicure with Paige, and had invited Lucy to join the two of them. The timing worked out perfectly, as the guys were heading to a lengthy workout at a gym they'd been invited to around the same time.
She happily accepted the invitation, and the three of them were currently in the salon. Within minutes of sitting down, Paige encouraged Lucy to tell Naomi all about the special arrangements she'd made for Roman at the gym back in England.
"To be fair, they weren't the actual ropes," Paige interjected, "he did have me switch them out with nylon that is actually made for such activities," she continued, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Naomi nodded with a small laugh, an impressed look on her face.
Paige sat in between Lucy and Naomi, and looked back and forth between them with glee as Lucy recounted the events of that memorable evening. As she spoke, she couldn't ignore the lick of heat she felt as she relived every moment.
"I thought that they looked a little different," Lucy said with a grin, "but I figured that was maybe because I was just seeing them up close for the first time."
"Nope," Paige said, glancing down at her nails as the manicurist worked, "the man truly thought of everything."
They chatted for a while longer about her and Roman's escapade in the ring, Naomi and Paige practically swooning as Lucy told them about falling asleep wrapped up in the cozy blanket.
Once their manicures were finished, the three of them admired one another's shiny new nails. Lucy had gone fairly simple with wine red nails, cut to medium length rounded points. Naomi and Paige had gone even shorter, not wanting to risk anything in the ring. Naomi's were a bright, cheerful purple, while Paige chose her signature black. As they waited for them to dry completely, the three of them discussed their plans for the last two days in France.
"I'm dragging Jimmy to Versailles," Naomi said, eyes glittering with excitement, "I wanted to go so badly the last time we were here, but it'll take practically the whole day and we couldn't make it work. We both agreed that'll be a special way to mark the holiday away from home," she finished, smiling fondly.
"Yeah, we couldn't fit it into our plans," Lucy said, her mind running over the countless places her and Roman had debated between, "there were just too many things to see in a few days. Take lots of pictures for me," she said, smiling at Naomi, who gave her a nod of agreement.
"I'm in a six woman tag match at the show tomorrow," Paige said excitedly, and Naomi gave her broad, genuine grin.
"You'll be up here with us full time any day now" she said encouragingly. Paige held her up her hand, crossing her fingers hopefully.
"Roman's going to have to get used to sharing his cheering section," Lucy said happily, glad that Paige was consistently getting more matches, just as she'd hoped.
As they talked more about the next day, Lucy told Naomi and Paige about the Shield getting pulled for the show last minute.
"That's road life for you," Paige said sympathetically, "I'm sure Roman wasn't thrilled about it."
"He's excited for the match, but no," Lucy agreed, "he wasn't happy about not being together."
"Sounds like he'll have to come up with another dramatic surprise to make it up to you," Naomi joked with a giggle.
Lucy admired her manicure once more as she contemplated an idea she'd had a few days earlier.
"Or better yet," she said with a coy smile, "maybe I'll think of one for him."
A freezing rain poured down as Roman and Lucy ducked into a bar that evening.
They'd spent the afternoon at Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, a gorgeous park full of lush foliage, a suspended walking bridge, and a castle surrounded by a river. There had hardly been any people around, and they'd taken their time wandering around and enjoying the serenity.
Once the weather turned into a bitter cold, the couple found a restaurant nearby and had a leisurely dinner, recounting their favorite parts of the trip so far, and making plans for the following day.
"I really am sorry that I have to work," Roman said, taking Lucy's hand in his, "I was really looking forward to spending it with you."
Taking her away from her family on a holiday at the last minute was one thing, but he couldn't help feeling guilty that now they wouldn't even be able to spend it together.
"It's really OK, Ro," she replied, squeezing his hand for emphasis, "I'm just going to take the day and relax, I think. This trip has been so wonderful," she paused to give him a sincere smile, "but it has been a lot. I think a quiet day of reading, journaling, and watching movies in bed sounds like a great idea."
"I guess you do have a new book or two to get started on," he said with a grin, the weight of his concern lifting as she spoke.
"And my choice of hoodies to curl up in for the day," Lucy agreed with a light laugh,
"Oh, don't you worry, I brought more," Roman said with a chuckle of his own, "plus you can order all the room service you want."
"And you'll be back after the show," she said, looking into his eyes fondly, "we can spend the rest of the night together."
The last part was true, even though Seth had gotten a call with another update- the three of them would be doing a meet and greet before the event, meaning they'd have to get to the show earlier than normal. She'd assured all three of them that there was nothing to be upset about when they broke the news.
Now, as they'd escaped the pelting raindrops, they were cozy in a corner booth, sipping on drinks and listening to the live pianist in the corner of the room, he finally stopped worrying, and let himself appreciate the present moment that they had.
…
Thursday was a flurry of activity. The guys had spent breakfast with Lucy and then immediately headed to a gym, squeezing in as quick of a workout as they could before stopping back at the hotel change before they had to be at the venue.
True to her word, Lucy's head was buried in a book when he returned to their room, peering through her glasses and looking as comfortable as she could be in nothing but the black hoodie he'd given to her that morning on his way out.
"Welcome back," she said, smiling up at him as she folded down the corner of her page and closed the book. She stood from the chair in the corner and greeted him with a soft kiss, making Roman smile against her lips. He slid his right hand into her soft, loose curls, wishing for just a moment that he could join in on her peaceful lazy day.
"I wish I didn't have to run back out so soon," he said, letting his left hand stroke down her bare thigh, pleased to feel goosebumps forming under his touch.
"Me too," Lucy agreed huskily, snaking a hand under the hem of his shirt, her fingers ghosting against his stomach, making him hiss out a breath.
"Torture," he said with a chuckle, lifting his head to meet her eyes, "it is cruel and unusual torture for you to be this tempting when I have leave in a few minutes instead of pushing you down and devouring every inch of you."
Lucy groaned, her eyes alight as he squeezed her shapely thigh, and Roman's cock twitched at the sound.
Just as he was calculating how to stretch out the remaining time he had, she stepped back and out of his grasp, withdrawing her hand from his stomach. Roman opened his mouth to protest, but she giggled and spoke before he could.
"We both know you have to go soon," she said, looking a little smug at the state she'd put him in, "and it would only be more torturous to have to stop in the middle of things."
She was right, of course, but that didn't stop him from letting his eyes rove over her once more as she settled back into her reading chair, crossing one bare leg over the other.
"But, speaking of devouring," she continued, "I looked around and found a place I think will be good for dinner later. How about we all meet in the lobby when you get back?"
"Sounds good," he agreed before fixing her with a heated look, "and we'll just have to finish this," he gestured between the two of them, "later tonight."
"I would never deny you dessert," she said with a wink, grinning cheekily.
With a laugh, Roman glanced over at the clock to see that he had about five minutes left. He quickly rummaged through his bags, making sure to grab a nicer shirt and pants. He knocked on Dean and Seth's door to let them know to do the same, filling them in on the new plan before the three of them bid Lucy farewell and raced to pile into the rental car and start their drive.
…
The rest of the day flew by, so much so that before he knew it, Seth was putting his finisher on Sheamus and the bell rang. Roman and Dean ran into the ring to celebrate with him as their music blared through the speakers, filling the arena. They took their time standing up on the turnbuckles, gloating and posing for the excited crowd before rolling out of the ring and slowly making their way up the ramp and backstage.
Once he was out of the shower, Roman sifted through his bag for his phone as he absentmindedly rubbed his hair with a towel. A small grin formed on his face when he found a message from Lucy wishing them luck for their match. He scrolled down a little further, and suppressed a groan by biting down on his lip. She had also recently showered, and had sent him a picture from their hotel bathroom, her reflection in the mirror just barely visible through the steam that surrounded her and fogged over the glass. Her dripping wet locks framed her naked, slick breasts perfectly, and she was staring directly into the camera with a heated gaze. Roman felt himself hardening, grateful that he had already dressed from the waist down. He scrolled further to see the message that accompanied the image.
'Can't wait to see you for dinner later. And dessert ;-)' she wrote.
Deciding it was only fair to tease her right back, Roman glanced around to make sure he was alone. He held up his phone and snapped a picture of himself from his belt up, sweeping his own damp hair to one side to make sure his tattoo was visible. Just as he pressed the shutter on the camera, he heard a wolf whistle from his left. His cheeks instantly warmed as he turned to see Dean, leaning against one of the lockers and watching him with a grin.
"Don't stop on my account," Dean said with a chuckle. He stood and pulled on a light blue dress shirt, beginning to button it as another quiet laugh escaped him.
"Stop," Roman complained as tried his best to discreetly look at the photo before sending it through. Once it was sent, he tossed his phone next to his bag and continued getting dressed.
"Sorry, dude," Dean said, his tone still light but sincere, "I've just never seen you take a thirst trap before. I'm sure Lucy will love it- just caught me off guard."
"The things we do for love," Seth said with a dramatic sigh from Roman's right, startling him.
"Oh good, a bigger audience," Roman said, his embarrassment growing as he wondered exactly how long Seth had been standing there.
"Relax, we all do it," Seth said with a smile, the gap in his teeth on full display, "let me know if you need any pointers."
He was about to throw out a retort when his phone buzzed. Glancing down at it, he saw that Lucy had responded.
'Remind me to send pics more often if this is the response I get,' she said, bringing the smile back to Roman's face.
The men dressed quickly and headed out of the arena. They'd been told before the show that they were free to leave once their match was over, considering it was a holiday and they'd jumped in at the last minute.
The drive was thankfully fairly short, just over an hour to get back to the hotel. Once they were in the car, Roman stretched out in the back and let Lucy know that they were on the way. She responded that she'd be waiting in the lobby, and as they drove, Roman got a warm, happy feeling. They'd had a huge turnout at the meet and greet, the crowd could not have been better at the show, and now he was on his way back to eat and relax, surrounded by his favorite people.
They parked easily in the hotel garage and took the elevator up, finding Lucy waiting for them, as promised.
The sight of her took his breath away.
She was wearing the deep red dress she'd worn when they visited the museum. Her curls hung loose around her face, where her smile was absolutely beaming.
Realizing he was staring at her, and had yet to utter a word, Roman closed the gap between them. He slid his hand around her waist, pulling her close and staring into her shining green eyes.
"You look incredible," he murmured quietly, aware that they weren't alone and that he should try to maintain some semblance of composure.
"So do you, babe," Lucy said, her smile growing impossible wider as she slid her hand over the front of his dark gray dress shirt, "you always clean up so well."
She glanced over at Dean and Seth, inclining her head towards them for a moment.
"You guys look great, too, by the way," she said, making Roman chuckle before placing a brief kiss on her lips. He turned so that he too faced his brothers, throwing an army over Lucy's shoulders, and he realized that her arms were bare.
"Want me to run up and grab you a coat or something?" he asked, looking down at her with furrowed brows, "it's pretty cold outside."
"Oh, right," she said, looking up at him, "I actually brought one, I left in here," she said, pointing down a hallway to their left, "I was ready earlier than I thought I would be, so I sat in the lounge for a little while. We can just go grab it."
She began walking down the hallway, and the men followed along behind her. As she turned into a room a few doors down, the rich smell of food hit Roman before he stepped into what was definitely not an empty hotel lounge.
Laid out on a long wooden table, along a deep orange table runner, lined on each side with tapers was what could only be described as a feast. Mashed potatoes, carrots, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie- the platters seemed to go on and on.
"What is all this?" Seth asked, beating Roman to the obvious question on everyone's mind. Well, everyone except for Lucy, who walked to the center of the table, resting her hands on the back of a chair with a glowing, proud expression on her face.
"I know it isn't exactly the same as being home to eat your families' home cooking," she began, "but I thought we could get pretty close. I did my best to make all the favorites you guys mentioned the other night, and threw in a few of my own."
Roman was floored, and from the looks on their faces, Dean and Seth felt exactly the same way. For a second all three men simply stared at her. This time, he spoke first.
"You cooked all of this?" he asked, tone incredulous as he walked around the table to join her, "when? How?" he stammered out, his brain unable to decide on a question to formulate as he looked back at the elaborate table.
"Well, I knew I wanted to do something to make today a celebration," she explained, alternating between looking at Roman and at the guys, "I had come up with a few ideas, but then when you got called in for the match last minute, I knew I'd have the time I needed to try and pull together a proper thanksgiving dinner. Mostly, anyway- there wasn't time to prep and cook a whole turkey- especially since I have never done that before," she finished with a small laugh.
"Oh well, in that case, I'm outta here," Dean quipped, shooting her a toothy grin, pulling a laugh from her and Seth.
Roman chuckled and shook his head, amazed, before looking back at Lucy. Meeting her eyes once more, warmth and affection flooded every one of his senses.
I love you.
The words played in his head a few times over, his heart beating quicker at every repetition.
No longer concerned with making a scene in front of anyone, Roman reached for Lucy's hand and pulled her swiftly into him. She instantly wrapped her arms around his neck as he bent down to claim her lips with his, parting them with his tongue. She released a barely audible sound as he slid one hand down her side to rest on her hip, the other pressing against her lower back, holding her firmly. He inhaled the faint scent of lavender as the soft velvet of her dress brushed against his arms. The sweet taste of her against his lips was intoxicating as he tried to express everything he was afraid to say out loud in that moment.
Across the table, one of his brothers gently cleared their throat- a clear reminder of their presence. Reluctantly, he gave her hip a squeeze as he placed a final peck against her lips. When he pulled back to look at her, his stomach did a somersault when saw passion equal to his own in her eyes. She turned to look at Dean and Seth, grinning bashfully.
"So," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with one hand and gesturing towards the food with the other, "what are we waiting for? Let's eat!"
They all settled into seats around the table, passing around the various platters of food until their plates were piled high.
"So are you responsible for the injuries too?" Roman joked.
"Yes, I took out a hit," she answered with a laugh, "I had to buy time for all of this somehow."
Seth chuckled as he passed Roman what looked like dumplings, and he took a few before looking at Lucy curiously.
"Are these something your family would usually have?" he asked, passing her the plate.
"Oh, no, not exactly," she said, taking them from him and adding a couple next to sweet potatoes, "this is actually a recipe that Sydney taught me. Remember her, from the coffee shop?" she asked. He nodded, and she continued.
"So like I said, I knew I wasn't going to be able to cook an entire turkey without you noticing," she said, "but these have turkey, cranberry, and stuffing inside of them. It's like Thanksgiving in a bite," she finished with a grin.
"Mmmm," Seth said enthusiastically around a mouthful, "you could have just made a giant platter of these."
Dean stuck one whole in his mouth, nodding his agreement.
"Thanks," Lucy replied, "that was the plan if I wasn't going to be able to wrangle this whole set up, or a big kitchen."
For a few minutes there was no sound but the clinking of silverware against plates and the contented noises of everyone eating. Everything was just as delicious as it smelled, and as he ate, Roman still couldn't believe that Lucy had done all of this. For them. For him.
"So," Dean said, pointing at Lucy with his fork in between bites, "how did you manage to talk this place into letting you do all of this?"
"That was surprisingly easy," she said while scooping mashed potatoes onto her plate, "I was prepared for some lengthy convincing, but I spoke to the concierge, and he immediately recognized me from coming and going with you guys. His son is a huge fan, and he was more than happy to help when I told him my idea- so long as I promised to clean up after myself."
"Well, I am a great dishwasher," Roman said with a smile, "just ask my mom."
Lucy turned to smile at him as he made a mental note to autograph some shirts and action figures and give them to the concierge as a 'thank you.' He placed a hand on her thigh as they continued eating, and she covered it with her own.
"Same here," Seth agreed, passing a basket of rolls to Dean, "we'll help make sure everything is as clean as you found it."
"I bet I can wash more dishes than both of you," Dean said, looking challengingly between Seth and Roman.
"Oh, it's on," Roman said as Lucy giggled beside him.
"Wow, it smells great here," said a voice Roman recognized behind him. He turned to see Naomi, Jimmy, and Jey walking in, all dressed for a nice dinner.
"You made it!" Lucy said gleefully, waving them over to the table, "Come, sit, there's plenty of food."
"You guys knew about this?" Roman said as the three of them sat down.
"Nope, not really," Jimmy said, taking the platter of green bean casserole Seth offered to him, "Lucy just texted Naomi a few hours ago- said you guys were planning to have a thanksgiving dinner and that she thought we might want to join, and to meet here if we did."
"And they let me know when they were on their way," Jey added with a smile.
"Sorry we're a little late," Naomi said, exasperated, "the trip back into the city took longer than we thought."
"You're right on time," Lucy said genuinely, "and Paige said she'd come after her match, too."
Everyone settled back into eating and amiable conversation, and as he helped himself to a large slice of pumpkin pie, Roman took stock of the scene before him. Dean had an arm slung on the back of Seth's chair, looking at him with an amused fondness as Seth rubbed his stomach, his eyes zeroing in on the desserts in spite of his protests that he couldn't eat another thing. Naomi was rolling her eyes with a smile as Jimmy and Jey competed to see who could pile more food on their plates. Lucy met her eyes, and the two of them burst into a fit of boisterous laughter. The candles cast a warm glow over his friends and family, all of them laughing and chatting happily, eating a fantastic meal prepared thoughtfully by his girlfriend. He was almost positive that his heart had never felt so full.
He flipped over the hand that was between Lucy's hand and her thigh, lacing their fingers together. She turned to meet his gaze, her smile radiant.
"Thank you," he said emphatically, keeping his voice to a low rumble, hoping to steal a single quiet moment for just the two of them. Lucy tugged at his hand, pulling him in for a brief, soft kiss.
"Happy Thanksgiving, love," she said softly, grabbing her wine glass and clinking it against his with a smile, "to what is hopefully the first of many."
Roman's heart soared as he brought his glass to his lips, more than happy to toast to more occasions exactly like this.