Can I love again? [a Roman Reigns story]

3 Sleep

I was surprised how much I enjoyed my first two months here at WWE. I also had no trouble with all the traveling, surprisingly. Everyone I dealt with was really nice. And luckily no questions came up that I didn't want to or couldn't answer.

With each passing day I breathed a little easier. It relaxed me that I could really start over here without being looked at pitifully all the time. It really did me good and lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.

The only thing that was a little weird was that one of the wrestlers, Roman as I had learned, was still watching me from a distance. It should have been unpleasant, but somehow it was not. Nevertheless, I was glad that he kept his distance so far. It made me nervous enough to see him from a far. And to be honest I didn't have the slightest idea how to deal with it. I had no interest in talking to men. It was just too hard. I was simply not ready yet. It didn't matter how attractive he was.

I just packed the last things into the storage boxes and closed them so that they were ready to be taken to the next venue. Quietly I hummed to myself. With a last look I made sure that I really had packed everything. Satisfied, I found that everything was in its place and I hadn't forgotten anything important.

With my handbag over my shoulder, I pushed my suitcase towards the exit. There the bus was waiting for us to take us to the next city tonight. A long yawn escaped me. I hoped that this time I would manage to get some sleep on the way. Sleeping was something I had been struggling with since that day. I would have liked nothing better than to sleep long and deeply. I just wanted to dive into a dream world and preferably never wake up again. 

I was just rounding the last corner before the exit when I suddenly slipped on a wet spot and lost my balance. I felt myself falling backwards, but not a second later I landed in strong arms that kept me from landing on the hard floor.

Gasping, I looked up and faced those brown eyes that had followed me since the first day. 

"Woah! Careful! Are you okay?" he asked in surprise.

"Oh... um... well thanks yes. Thanks to you I am." I stammered as he set me back on my feet.

"You're welcome. I'm Roman, by the way." he said in an incredibly deep voice, holding his hand out to me.

I gulped as I looked up at him and then shook his waiting hand. His hand was firm, but surprisingly soft at the same time.

"Y/N. Thanks again for the save." I replied a little breathlessly.

"It was my pleasure. I couldn't let you hurt yourself." he said as his lips curled into a smile and dimples appeared.

"It was damn good timing. That's for sure. I should get to the bus now. I don't want to keep the others waiting. It was nice meeting you, Roman." I said, then immediately headed back out.

"See you around, Y/N!" he called after me.

Roman POV

After changing a few things, I went to the bus I knew she would be on. The driver stowed my luggage and then I went looking for her.

It wasn't long before I found her in the middle of the bus. Y/N was looking out the window. Her hand was cupped to her cheek as she looked out, seemingly lost in thought. She still looked as tired as on her first day backstage.

I cleared my throat to get her attention. Slowly, she turned her head in my direction and looked at me in confusion.

"Oh hey." she finally said.

"Hi, Y/N. Is that seat still available?" I asked, pointing to the seat next to her.

"Um... yeah sure." she replied as she took her purse away to make room for me.

I sat down next to her, but her gaze was back out the window.

"So, tell me... how do you like it at WWE?" I asked.

"It's pretty good. But excuse me, please. I'm too tired to talk." she replied with a small smile as her gaze turned in my direction.

"Yes, I can see that. I'll let you sleep." I said then, because as I said you could see how tired she really was.

"Easier said than done." she muttered, then sighed deeply.

"What do you mean?" wanted to know.

"Well, the thing is... I've been having trouble sleeping for a while now. And that's certainly not going to change." she explained to me.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe I can help you." I suggested as a thought came to me.

"How will you be able to help me?" she asked skeptically.

"I know it may sound a bit forward, but.... put your head against my chest while I put my arms around you. I've heard that the heartbeat can have a calming effect." I suggested to her and noticed myself blushing. I had no idea where this sudden courage came from. But I guess I had nothing to lose.

"Are you serious?" asked Y/N, looking deep into my eyes.

"Sure. Maybe it will work. What have you got to lose?" I replied with a shrug.

Y/N looked at me inquiringly. As if she wanted to find out if I was serious or if I had lost my mind. Which was quite possible. After all, I was just a stranger to her.

"You know, Roman... Strange as it may sound... I'm so desperate and longing to sleep that I want to try," she said to my surprise.

"Okay, come here." I said then and stretched out my arm.

Hesitantly, probably thinking about whether it was really a good idea, she scooted closer to me and put her head on my chest. Carefully I put my arm around her.

It did not take long until she relaxed. A soft sigh escaped her and I felt her breathing become deeper and more even. This made me feel better.

"How's that?" I asked quietly after a few minutes, but got no more response.

She had indeed fallen asleep. I leaned my head back against the seat and smiled. It was nice that she finally got some sleep. And it was even nicer to know that I could help her.