Chapter Text
Roman had been trying all morning to ignore the myriad of emotions running through his body. When his alarm had first gone off he thought he might actually vomit. Whether it be from fear, excitement, or just the flu, he honestly didn’t know. Once he had gotten his stomach in check though he started to get excited about tonight. Really excited. Excited enough to be visibly vibrating while he showered. But by the time he had finished showering and gotten dressed his excitement had faded into nervousness and he had been unable to eat anything before heading into work. Something which could pose a significant problem for a guy who lifted weights for a living.
It was currently ten AM and he was waiting for his first client while trying to decide if the dizzy feeling he now had was from low blood sugar or his pending date with Dean and Dixie. He was sitting on a bench near the free weights, head down and messing with his water bottle when he heard footsteps approach followed by a familiar voice.
“Dude? Are you feeling alright?”
Roman looked up from his water bottle to see the cross fit instructor, Seth Rollins, walking toward him with a concerned look on his face.
“Yeah, man. I’m fine. Just got a lot on my mind today.” He said, hoping the younger man would leave him be. If Roman had wanted to talk about what was going on, he certainly wouldn’t have gone to Seth with it. And besides, exactly how do you bring up with a coworker that your best friend and his girlfriend asked you out the previous night. And you said yes.
“Anything you wanna talk about?” Seth asked. Roman figured he wouldn’t be lucky enough to be left alone.
“Nah. It’s all personal stuff.” Roman said, trying his best to give Seth the hint and still not sound dismissive toward his coworker.
“Girl trouble?” Seth asked with a smirk.
Roman didn’t respond. Just looked back down at his water bottle and put his thumb and middle finger to his temple. He hoped Seth would leave it with that, but his stomach (the traitor that it is) let out a loud growl as he did so.
“Well, if you don’t wanna talk, at least eat something. I don’t wanna listen to that monster all day.” Seth said, finally, blessedly, walking away for his first class of the day.
Roman’s phone pinged with a text message a minute later and he reached for it. But as he looked up he saw the sweet brunette he had been helping get in shape for her upcoming wedding stroll through the front door. Whatever it was, it would have to wait until later.
“Kenzie, darling. You ready to sweat?” He asked, scooping the small girl in a hug.
“Absolutely, Mr. Reigns.” The girl answered.
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Roman?” He asked, grabbing a set of free weights off the rack for her.
An hour later and Kenzie was headed off to the showers with a thank you. Roman was proud of her. He honesty hadn’t expected her to keep with things and work as hard as she had, but she had made great progress and was going to knock her fiancé out on their wedding day.
He grabbed his towel and wiped the sweat from his upper body. He had one more appointment before lunch, so there was no sense in showering now. But he did have time to check the text message which came through an hour earlier. When he opened his phone he saw it was a group message from Dean and Dixie.
One of the girls called in sick. I’m going to be a little late tonight. Can we push dinner to 7:30?
-Dixie
Yeah, babe. Fine with me.
-DA
That alright with you, Ro? If so I’ll be by your place around 7 instead.
-DA
Roman quickly typed out a response to the both of them and then one to Dean specifically.
I’m cool with that.
-Reigns (to Dean & Dixie)
Where are we going, and how should I dress? I don’t want to screw this up.
-Reigns (to Dean)
With that Roman put his phone down as he saw his next morning appointment walk in. A middle aged guy, recently divorced, who was trying to get back to his pre-marriage body and learn how to feed himself. Roman really had his work cut out with the guy. He was set in his ways, but was actually trying to change. It had been slow change, but the steps were in the right direction and that was what mattered.
“Alright David. Food journal, front and center. And let’s go weigh in.” Roman said.
Ninety minutes later and Roman was done for the morning. He headed to the locker room to wash off the sweat and change. Go home, hopefully keep some food down, and absolutely not worry about his date tonight.
“So you got some kinda date tonight, huh?” Seth said, waving Roman’s phone in his face as he walked into the employee showers.
“Seth. Give me my phone.” Roman said, exasperated and internally berating himself for not setting up the screen lock like Dixie had told him to.
“Taking two girls out at once. Didn’t know you had it in ya, big dog.” Seth said, handing his phone back over.
“It’s not what you think. And my personal life is none of your business, Rollins.” Roman stated defensively, turning to walk toward the shower he desperately wanted.
“I want details!” Seth shouted to his back.
Roman glanced at his phone before tossing it in his bag.
Nowhere fancy. Dix and I usually decide on the drive home. You got somewhere you wanna try?
-DA
And don’t worry so much. You ain’t gonna screw anything up. ;)
-DA
Roman thought about his reply as he showered. As soon as he was dressed he pulled his phone back out and replied to the group text Dixie had sent earlier.
Do you guys wanna try that new seafood place, Fat Fish, on Main?
-Reigns
**************************************************
Roman walked through the front door of his tiny one bedroom apartment and dumped his duffle behind the couch. He headed over to the corner labeled as kitchen and started riffling through the contents of his refrigerator. He hadn’t eaten anything all morning and if he was going to make it through the rest of the day something was going to have to be eaten. Nothing looked appetizing. He eventually decided on some leftover grilled chicken from a couple nights ago. He bit into the chicken without re-heating it and went to sit down on his couch.
Gods bless Dixie for feeding him. For a nutritionist he had a bad habit of not preparing food for himself. Roman often told himself the reason was because his kitchen was so tiny. But in honesty he had never been great at cooking for himself. Even when he and Dean shared that decently sized house back when he was in college he rarely pulled out any pots or pans in the kitchen. When Dean started dating Dixie she almost immediately took him as a charity food case, always making enough dinner for three. ‘Just in case you wanna stop by’ she would say. Roman started eating with them nearly every night.
Dean had been his best friend, really his only friend, since high school. And likewise Roman had been the same for Dean. Basically turning into the kids body guard when he decided to come out their sophomore year. And once Dixie made her way into Dean’s life, so easily slipping into that comfortable relationship people who genuinely love each have, she had become his second best friend. She had been just as happy for him as Dean was when Roman found the woman he thought was going to be his forever. And they both had been there when she had walked out on him, saying she needed a man with more ambition. They were the best things in his life.
Roman was just starting to think maybe he couldn’t screw things up here when his phone pinged with another text from Dean.
Bro, that place looks amazing. But don’t you need a reservation?
-DA
Crap. The place did need reservations, and Roman didn’t mind setting that up. In fact he was planning on it as soon as he got the ok from Dean and Dixie. But Roman knew Dean speak. And his slight hesitation meant he was unsure about the price of the place. Roman should just pick somewhere else. Dean had said nothing fancy when he texted him earlier. But Dean and Dixie deserved a great night out and he could provide that. No, he wouldn’t pick anywhere different. He wanted, needed, their first date to be something special.
It’s cool man. I got it.
-Reigns
Roman hoped Dean wouldn’t be too upset about the unspoken offer to pick up the bill.
I can’t ask you to do that. We asked you out.
-DA
You’re not asking. I’m offering. Reservations are made. Be here at 6.
-Reigns
Roman opened google on his phone and found the number to the restaurant. Apparently they didn’t normally take same day reservations, but Roman gave them a sob story about not having seen his brother and sister in a few years and suddenly a small table for three was available at seven thirty.
His phone pinged again as soon as he hung up with the restaurant.
Alright, man. I guess I can put on something better than jeans.
-DA
Dude, you should be wearing better than jeans when you take your girl out anyway.
-Reigns
Hey. She knew what she was getting when agreed to make things serious between us.
-DA
Roman couldn’t help but laugh at his friend. He honestly hoped Dean was joking about taking Dixie out for their weekly date night in jeans, but knowing Dean as well as he did it was entirely possible. And Dixie was the type of girl to be totally fine with it. Still, it made Roman feel better about his restaurant choice for the evening. Dixie was a sweet girl, and deserved to be seen with Dean in something better than jeans.
Roman spent the next hour sitting on his couch channel surfing and waiting until it was time to leave for his last appointment of the day. And getting lost in his thoughts. Part of his brain was telling him there was nothing to screw up here. He and Dean and Dixie already got along fantastically. That was why they asked him about this. But at the same time, taking a friendship and trying to make it something more could be disastrous, and he absolutely did not want to lose the two of them. He was starting to feel tired. The stress of his nerves about tonight finally getting the best of him. He closed his eyes for a minute when his phone rang. The tone alerting him to a call from the gym.
“Hello.” Roman said into the receiver as he picked up the phone.
“Hey Roman.” It was Dawn. The owners twenty something daughter who worked the front desk. “Seth said you went home for a little while. I was just calling to let you know your two thirty cancelled.”
“Thanks, Hun. That’s actually a relief.” Roman replied.
“Yeah. Seth said you weren’t looking too great this morning. Are you feeling alright? Do you want me to cancel your appointments for tomorrow?” She asked.
“No. I’m fine. Just a little tired. I’ll see you in the morning.” Roman said, hanging up the phone.
Roman didn’t even want to think about what Seth had been telling her about him. The man could seriously run his mouth when he wanted to, and he was a complete suck up to the owner. If he wasn’t actually good at his job, Roman would question what he did to get it. But right now he just wanted to shut his brain off for a while and take a short nap before he had to get ready.
**************************************************
Roman was startled awake by the alarm on his phone. Thank the gods he thought to set the thing before he shut his eyes. It was currently five o’clock and Dean was going to be here in hour. And didn’t that piece of information just make the whole thing real. Dean. His best friend Dean. Was going to be at his apartment in a hour to take him out on their first date. He wanted to freak out just a tiny bit, but he didn’t have time for that right now.
Roman walked back to his bedroom and pulled the only suit he owned out of his closet. He grabbed a clean grey button down shirt as well. He thought for a moment about putting a tie on, but he knew there was no way Dean would wear one. Hell, Dean probably wasn’t going to wear a suit either. He laid the items across his bed and headed to take a quick shower.
Roman was just finishing pulling his hair back and adjusting his jacket when he heard the buzzer sound through his apartment. He looked at the clock. Six. It would be Dean. He walked over to the intercom and stood in front of it for a moment before pressing the button to open the security door and let his friend inside. There was still time to back out. Dean would understand. He could even give him some cash so he could still take Dixie to a nice dinner.
There were three sharp knocks on the door. Roman froze before walking over to open it. Dean had a key. Usually he just burst in like he owned the place.
“Why’d you knock?” Roman asked as he opened the door.
“I wanna do this right.” Dean said.
“You look good.” Roman said. And he did. Roman was right about him not wearing a suit, but he had on a nice pair of grey pants and light blue button down.
“Come on it and have a beer with me.” Roman said, stepping aside. “We don’t have to leave for at least another forty-five minutes.”
Dean stepped inside, a small smile on his lips. It felt comfortable and completely foreign at the same time. It felt right.