Entangled

Chapter 18

I was going to start on FLAMES, but I had the idea for the start of this scene and I didn't want to lose it. So NOW I'll take a break and go back to FLAMES. Probably.

"Stop glaring at me already."

Aside from snorting like an angry dragon, Roman doesn't move. "I ain't even looking at you."

The bass in Roman's voice is equal parts annoyance and disappointment, and both make Seth's heart sink. He's working his way up to telling his family about the pregnancy, but the triad had little choice but to inform WWE. The flinty sharpness hasn't left Roman's gaze since he heard the news. "Yeah, well... your shoulders are glaring at me," Seth mutters. His friend's posture is unforgiving and Seth can feel his own shoulders folding in. He doesn't want to cower, but Roman's always had a knack for making him feel chastised.

"You're lucky that's all they're doing." Heaving a huge breath, Roman finally turns away from the backstage scene that's being prepared and meets Seth's gaze. "What the fuck, man? Seriously. You should know better."

"It wasn't intentional!" Seth hisses, glancing around. Everyone's attention is still on Becky and Sasha, telling them where to be, what angles to work with. Hunter's decided to plant seeds for a future feud between Becky and Sasha, so the story is that Sasha ambushes Becky backstage, making a tower of equipment trunks fall on her. The actual attack will only be heard on television, not seen; by the time the intrepid camera crew arrives on the scene, Becky will already be buried under a pile of emptied, carefully arranged trunks. Everyone involved in the staging knows she's pregnant, and they're taking every precaution to keep her and the baby safe. Seth's still nervous, though, and he hears it in his voice, his pulse, even in his jaw.

"Not intentional?" As soon as Roman echoes it, voice dipping to glacial depths, Seth knows it was the wrong thing to say. "So you weren't planning to have sex with her, but your dick just happened to be out...?"

"No." Seth leans back against a wall and fights to keep his temper in check, if only for Becky's sake. People are already whispering about them backstage and he's sure the dirt sheets will be running stories within the hour, most of them unflattering at best and utterly untrue at worst. "The pregnancy. Normally we're all really good at remembering to use something, but sometimes when Becky and I are on our own, we... forget."

"Forgot." Roman's repetition is somewhat softer this time, but Seth figures it has more to do with the fact that Becky just glanced in their direction. "Like I said, bro, you should know better." Then he shakes his head and sighs. "So what are you guys planning to do? I can't picture her living in Iowa."

Seth does his best not to laugh. He knows Davenport is going to be a steep learning curve for her, but they've discussed the pros and cons of her living options and Iowa has more in its favour. "She'll be staying at my place during the pregnancy. That's the plan, anyway. She may change her mind after she goes to the doctor and gets the ultrasound and everything...."

Now Roman does turn to face him, and Seth immediately wishes he hadn't. He's been told that he's intimidating when he's angry, but compared to how Roman looks right now, he feels as imposing as a chihuahua. "After she goes?" This time, the echo sounds like a threat. "You're not going with her?"

If circumstances were different, Seth could say it was just a figure of speech, since she's the one actually being examined. As it is, he has to square his shoulders and force himself to stand straight. "I won't be able to make it to this one," he says, proud that his voice doesn't crack. "She needs to see a special doctor because of a medical condition, and the only appointment available this week was during the finals for Black & Brave." When Roman's exasperation becomes too much to bear, Seth lets out a low growl. The full moon was only a few days ago, so it would be all too easy to accidentally shift—and then they would have a lot more awkward questions to answer. "She understands, Roman. My students pay tuition and they're promised certain things for that, and one of those is my feedback—"

"And I'm sure if they knew your girlfriend was pregnant," Roman replies, "they would understand why you needed to reschedule." He shakes his head and casts his gaze upward. "Listen, man, I'm not saying you have to get married. You know Joelle was born long before Galina and I got married. But—"

"Filming to start in five minutes!" a director calls out. "Clear the area!"

When Seth glances over at the attack zone, he sees Sasha going over some last-minute details, but Becky's nowhere to be found—until he feels arms snaking around his waist from behind. He's sure it must be his imagination, but he almost thinks he can feel the baby moving against his back. "Hey. You two will have to leave," Becky says, coming around his side and ducking under his arm. "They want to make sure the cameras don't pick up any bystanders. If you go to Catering," she adds, "someone will let you know when we're done."

As Seth expected, Roman's consternation softens considerably now that Becky's in earshot, but it's still obvious that he's not happy. "Is this why you wanted to walk that night at the hotel?" he asks, pulling Becky into a hug.

"I'm fine, Roman." As she steps back from the hug, she gives him a gentle jab to the gut. "And stop blaming Seth for everything. We both made the decision not to use any protection sometimes, so it's not just his fault." She pats her belly and gives a wry smile as she adds, "I was there. I should know."

Roman glares at Seth over her head. "If you didn't know," he replies, "then we would definitely have some problems." When he drops his gaze back to Becky, it's somewhat softer. "If you need anything, you let me know. I'm sure Galina would be happy to give you advice."

"Maybe you should ask her before you volunteer her," Becks warns with a laugh. "If I'm going to be in Iowa for months without much to do, she might get sick of me."

"Never." Then Roman lets out a laugh of his own. "But if you need a reminder of exactly why you should be careful, all you have to do is come visit our place for a weekend. I'm sure the chaos will be the best form of birth control you've ever had." As he loops an arm around Seth's shoulders and hugs him, Roman shakes his head. Just promise me one thing: Make sure you teach the kid Irish so they can annoy the hell out of this one." He gives Seth's shoulders a vigorous shake before he steps back. "C'mon, bro. Let's leave the ladies to work their magic."

"Give me a minute." Seth steps away from his Shield brother and grabs Becky's hand, pulling her off to the side. There's no privacy to be had with so many people milling about, but at least it's a bit quieter. "Everything okay?" When Becky nods, he cradles her face in his hands and kisses her. "If you feel uncomfortable with any of it, let them know. Even if it's in the middle of the shoot. It'll be on a tape delay, so they'll have time to edit or—"

Becky cuts him off with a kiss long enough that it makes Roman clear his throat. "The amulet will help protect me if anything happens," she says when she settles back on her heels. "And yes, I called Mina to verify, so you don't have to worry." Then she turns Seth around and pushes him gently towards Roman. "Get him a coffee, will you?"

"On it." Before Seth can blink, Roman's at his side, grabbing him by the arm and steering him off the now-closed set. Becky waves as she gets into position and gets some last-minute instructions along with Sasha. As Roman guides Seth around a corner, he knocks his shoulder gently and Seth bumps up against the wall. "Still not paying attention, are you?"

Seth chuckles softly and focusses on the hallway in front of them. "Sorry. I just...."

"It's all right." The gruffness in Roman's voice is becoming more affectionate than anything, and Seth knows he has Becky to thank for that. "For the kid's sake, though, I hope they get her brains." He elbows Seth in the side and winks as he adds, "And her looks too."

"No arguments there." Seth follows Roman to Catering, trying to focus on all the sights and sounds around him so he won't overreact when he hears the attack begin. The triad's taken another big step today and so far they're weathering the storm. There's still a long way to go, but day by day, step by step, they'll get there.