Chapter Text
Everything’s a blur.
Cody has only the faintest idea of what happens after the bell rings. He knows the referee hands him the title belt. Cody knows that Aldis climbs into the ring and says something to him. He knows that someone comes to help the Rock out of the ring.
And, most importantly, he knows that he ends up in Roman’s arms.
Cody’s not sure how he and Roman get out of the ring, and he’s really not sure of how they leave the arena and end up on the bus. He just knows that Roman is holding him as closely as possible. Roman is warm and soft against him, and Cody just wants to lay his body on Roman for the rest of forever.
Cody is sitting on the couch in his bus now. Roman is quickly walking around the bus, getting stuff out of one of the first-aid kits.
Roman is also yelling a lot.
“This was so stupid!” Roman says. “This was so fucking stupid! Don’t you ever in your damn life agree to anything like this again! Don’t you ever make me agree to anything like this again!”
Cody thinks he’s supposed to be upset that Roman is yelling at him. You’re not supposed to yell at people who just won, right?
Cody’s not upset at all, though. Because even though Roman is mad, all Cody can think about is how much he loves Roman and how much Roman must love him.
“What else hurts, besides your head?” Roman asks Cody.
Cody tries to laugh quietly but laughs very loudly instead.
“Pretty much everything. But I’m good, I swear.”
“Oh my God ,” Roman says. He sounds like Cody has stressed him to capacity.
Roman walks over to Cody and gently presses something stinging against his nose. It smells like Wheatley Vodka, and Cody belatedly realizes that it’s the type of alcohol the medical team uses when you’ve busted yourself up pretty well. Roman cleans a painful spot on Cody’s face and softly puts a bandage across Cody’s nose.
Roman also starts wiping the rest of Cody’s face with a warm, soapy towel. Roman’s super gentle with him, and Cody tries to remember a joke he made about this once before.
He’s having a hard time remembering most things outside of how much he loves Roman.
“I can’t believe you did this shit,” Roman grumbles as he carefully cleans Cody. “You and your fucking death wishes.”
Roman goes to the sink and rings the towel out. He puts more soap and water on it and comes back to start cleaning Cody’s chest. He puts his hand on Cody’s shoulder as he wipes Cody down. He disappears for another second and comes back with a big towel to dry Cody off.
Cody leans into Roman’s touch. He wants Roman to touch him everywhere.
As if he’s reading Cody’s muddled mind, Roman reaches for the button on Cody’s pants. He deftly undoes Cody’s button and zipper and slowly pulls Cody’s pants down. Roman crouches down to take Cody’s feet out of his pants. His beard tickles Cody’s leg, and Cody feels hot and flustered all over.
Roman suddenly stops and looks up at Cody. He must have felt the way Cody was watching him.
Roman makes a face at Cody. “Don’t get excited. I’m just helping you change clothes. You can’t sit around in your gear or your underwear.”
“I mean, I won’t be if you take my underwear off, too,” Cody suggests.
Roman gives Cody a dry look that makes Cody giggle. To his disappointment, Roman stands up and hands Cody a T-shirt and a pair of joggers. Cody laughs again and tilts his head at the clothes. He doesn’t even remember seeing Roman get these.
Roman takes Cody’s hesitation as a sign that he needs more help. He takes the pants from Cody and crouches back down to the floor.
“Here, I got ya,” Roman says.
Cody lifts his feet so that Roman can pull his pants on. Roman’s face and hands start moving toward Cody’s groin and another laugh bubbles up.
“I’m just saying, you could be doing much more fun things down there.”
Roman looks up at Cody as if Cody is being utterly impossible.
“How are you still so horny while concussed?” Roman asks.
“I’m, like, ninety percent sure that I’m not concussed,” Cody argues. “And I’m not horny for no reason. I’m horny because I really, really love you.”
Roman freezes and looks at Cody with an astounded expression. Cody thinks he should be scared. He thinks he should regret blurting that out like that, while Roman is in the middle of trying to take care of him.
But, Cody’s not scared at all.
“I love you, too,” Roman says so quietly. He ducks his head and goes back to working on Cody’s pants. “But I’m going to need you to tell me that when you don’t have mild brain damage.”
Roman stands up as he fully pulls Cody’s pants on. Cody grabs his wrist and pulls him closer.
“It won’t make a difference. I’m going to say the same thing.”
Roman looks at Cody and, as far as Cody can tell, he looks soft and happy for the first time tonight.
“I’m going to get medical to come check you out,” Roman says. “Try not to do any more damage to yourself.”
Cody grins broadly and brings Roman’s hand to his lips. He kisses each knuckle and smiles when he hears the way Roman’s breath hitches.
“No promises.”
###
Roman waits outside of the bus while Aldis and the medical team check on Cody. Roman knows that it’s not taking long, but it feels like it’s taking forever.
At one point, Aldis sticks his head out of the bus to update Roman.
“No concussion,” Aldis states. “His nose is broken, though.”
Roman snorts. “It’s a miracle.”
“No kidding,” Aldis says. “They’re going to take another look at his ankle just to be sure about it.”
Roman nods. “Good to hear.”
Aldis disappears back into the bus to monitor the medical staff. Roman wants to be cynical about Aldis’ presence but he has to admit that Aldis might actually care about Cody.
Roman feels impatient and antsy as he paces in front of the bus. He walks away from the bus just to move around. Part of Roman wants to go back inside and find Jimmy and Jey. He can’t thank them enough, but he might as well start now.
Roman turns around and starts toward the arena door. He stops dead in his tracks when he sees Seth leaning on the wall next to the door, his eyes closed and his head tilted toward the sky.
Speaking of people he needs to thank.
Roman sighs and pushes himself forward. He can’t avoid Seth, and, even if he could, it wouldn’t be the right thing to do.
“Seth.”
Seth takes a deep breath before looking at Roman. He crosses his arms as Roman approaches him. Seth looks dead on his feet.
“You don’t get to thank me,” Seth says harshly, “because I didn’t do that for you . I did it because I didn’t want Solo to be the champion and it wouldn’t have been fair if you or Kevin’s dumb asses cost Cody the title.”
“Hey, I don’t care why you did it,” Roman says. “I’m just glad that you did. I appreciate it.”
Seth scoffs. “I’m sure you do.”
Seth rolls his eyes and looks away from Roman. Roman watches Seth, and an odd thing happens. The irritation Roman expects to feel isn’t there. Instead, there’s a pang of sadness.
“I really did care about you, Seth,” Roman says softly.
Seth sighs, long and heavy.
“I know you did,” he says. “And it’s a really shitty feeling to care about someone who’s got other . . . things on his mind. So, I get why you’ll hate me forever.”
A quiet moment passes between them. Seth closes his eyes again. Roman takes a long look at Seth, taking in the frown on his face and the way his shoulders sag.
Seth finally looks at Roman again. He smirks but there’s no feeling behind it.
“I still don’t think you two are any good together,” Seth says. “I don’t think I ever will.”
Seth has opened the door that Sami cracked earlier tonight. Roman might as well walk through it.
“Which is it that bothers you?” Roman asks. “Seeing me with him, or seeing him with me?”
Seth looks at Roman with a curious expression. Then, he chuckles.
“I’m not so sure anymore, to be honest. It’s the same shitty feeling either way.” Seth shrugs and adds, “And it doesn’t matter anyway, does it?”
There’s a part of Roman that’s yelling that it does matter. It’s the envious piece of his core that wants to make sure that no one lures Cody away from him. It’s louder tonight than it usually is. It makes sense; Seth is one of Cody’s saviors, after all. It would be very easy for Roman to give in to that side of himself again.
But, he doesn’t want to.
“No,” Roman says, slow but certain. “It doesn’t.”
Seth nods and pushes himself off the wall. Roman has just handed him whatever confirmation he needed.
“Goodbye, Roman,” Seth says and he disappears into the arena.
###
Cody has a broken nose, light ankle swelling, and “too many contusions to count.” He narrowly avoided a concussion and a more severe ankle sprain. A very nice nurse gave Cody some painkillers and told him to “take your crazy behind to your doctor as soon as you can” to get a steady refill.
He’s snuggled in bed on his tour bus. He has an ice pack strapped to his ankle. Every bruise on his body aches dully. Cody is sore from the tip of his hair to the bottom of his pinkie toe. The painkillers add fuel to the exhaustion’s fire, and he can barely keep his eyes open. The title belt is laid out across the table in the dinette.
And Roman is sitting up in bed next to him, careful not to jostle him.
Cody feels better than he has in a long time.
Cody’s phone starts going off on the table next to him. Roman carefully reaches over Cody to pick it up before Cody can. He unlocks it and reads whatever notification has come in. Then, he laughs.
“Randy saw the match,” Roman reports.
Roman turns the phone so that Cody can read Randy’s messages.
Randy: HOLY SHIT YOU ACTUALLY BROKE THAT FUCKERS ELBOW - 12:33 a.m.
Randy: I can’t tell you how many times I rewatched that shit. Fucking beautiful - 12:34 a.m.
Randy: You’re one badass, crazy motherfucker, Code Man - 12:36 a.m.
“You are crazy as hell,” Roman comments.
Cody kisses Roman’s thigh.
“And you love me,” Cody says with a big smile.
Roman rolls his eyes as he so often does. But, he smiles broadly.
“Yeah. I do.”
###
Cody calls Seth on Saturday afternoon. He’s stretched out on the couch in his living room while Roman makes lunch for them.
“The Champion lives!” Seth says when he answers the phone.
“Barely,” Cody says. “And that’s partially because of you.”
Seth snorts. “I’m not the reason you’re alive. I’m part of the reason you’re still Champion , though.”
“You are,” Cody says. “I wanted to properly thank you for helping me last night. You came through for me even though I gave you no reason to.”
Seth makes a soft sound that could mean anything at all.
“You know, one of these days, I’m going to come to my senses and let you fend for yourself, Rhodes,” Seth says.
“I understand,” Cody says. “If you never help me again, just know that I’ll always appreciate what you’ve done for me.”
Seth inhales sharply. Cody waits for the joke, the gloating, or the sudden curtness that he’s come to expect from Seth. Instead, he hears Seth sigh softly.
“Any time, Cody,” Seth says. “Take care of yourself.”
Seth ends the call, leaving Cody on the other end. Roman comes out of the kitchen with a plate of food in each hand. He raises an eyebrow when he sees Cody holding his phone.
“Seth,” Cody says as an explanation.
Roman nods and his lips quirk up into the faintest of smiles. Then, he sits down next to Cody.
###
It feels odd to be going to SmackDown without Cody.
Cody has been reprimanded to his home to rest and recover. Aldis was adamant that Cody would take his victory lap on next week’s show.
“I don’t need you leaving here with any more broken bones,” Aldis said on the phone Wednesday. “Or breaking anyone else’s.”
Cody had pouted and whined. Roman made a valiant effort not to laugh at his sad puppy-dog face. In exchange for agreeing to stay home, Cody had asked Roman not to “have any fun beating anyone up without me.” Roman reluctantly agreed.
Roman flies into Charlotte with his cousins. He ends up adjudicating a very animated and spirited debate about the merits of an Uso Splash versus a Samoan Drop. Jimmy and Jey manage to argue about wrestling for the entire trip from the airport to the hotel. They take a brief break before starting the argument again on the trip from the hotel to the arena.
Roman listens to them, amazed and disturbed by their ability to run their mouths. His cousins are going to drive him insane, but he doesn’t mind that one bit.
Their long-running argument hasn’t taken a bit of their energy; Jimmy and Jey are both bouncing on their toes by the time they get to their dressing room.
“Man, we oughta ask Aldis to book us a tag-team match,” Jey says excitedly. “Montez and Angelo ain’t doing nothing tonight! Let’s go whoop ‘em!”
“Nah, Tama and Tonga still got the titles,” Jimmy says. “They the ones we gotta smack around a little bit more.”
“Y’all have been whooping them, though,” Roman says. “They’re probably hiding from you at this point.”
“Well, they better come out to play!”’ Jimmy says. “Because we coming back for our titles!”
Roman grins. He’s missed watching Jimmy and Jey as tag-team partners. Crown Jewel wasn’t enough.
“It has been a long time since y’all had tag-team titles,” Roman says. He smirks at Jey and adds, “You sure that Damian Priest won’t get jealous?”
Jey laughs brightly. “Nah, he knows what it is. He can share.”
Jimmy cuts his eyes at Jey. “He better! He’s cool and all, but we’re blood, damn it! We got the same face and everything! I’ll smack him around, too, if I have to!”
“Man, if you don’t chill out,” Jey says jovially. “I’d hate to watch you get hit with the South of Heaven.”
“Oh, so you think he can beat me, then?” Jimmy says. “Now, I have to fight him!”
A thought strikes Roman and he laughs so hard his shoulders start to shake.
“You and Priest should just have a ‘Custody of Jey’ match,” Roman says with a quivering laugh. “We’ll hang Jey from the cage Dom was in.”
“Aye, I could do it!” Jey says. “I’m not scared of heights like him! I’ll be in that cage chilling!”
That leads Jimmy and Jey onto another rambling conversation. They talk about how high the cage would be, if they could convince production to decorate the bars, and if Rhea or Naomi would agree to be a special-guest referee.
Roman just listens and laughs until his abs are sore. He feels good.
###
Roman and Jimmy are in the middle of a conversation about Jimmy and Jey actually having a tag-team match soon when they hear a cacophony of angry shouts and boos coming from the audience. In the next second, Jey steps back into the dressing room and points to the screen behind them with an annoyed expression.
“Y’all see this shit?” Jey asks.
Roman and Jimmy turn around to see Sami standing in the middle of the ring arguing with Kevin Owens.
Sami and Kevin are deep in their argument. Sami is fired up; he’s leaning forward and jabbing his finger in Kevin’s face. Kevin keeps taking steps toward Sami.
Roman stands up from his seat, finds the remote, and turns the volume up.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Kevin yells at Sami’s face. “Do you suddenly have amnesia? I feel like I’m the only one around here who remembers who Roman Reigns is!”
“Oh, please give me a reason, Kevin,” Roman says.
Jimmy scoffs. “I’m shocked that you’re not already out there.”
“Eh,” Roman says. “I told Cody I would behave tonight. But, I might have to make an exception.”
“No one has forgotten what Roman and the Bloodline did!” Sami cries, clearly exasperated. “But I see change in him! I see positive change in him! He, Jey, and Jimmy are trying to stop Solo from being worse than they were!”
Kevin takes a step toward Sami and points a finger in his face.
“That’s bull, and you know it, Sami! Roman is just trying to take his ‘power’ back! Why can’t you get that through your head? Why can’t you see that?”
“I know he better not put his hands on Sami!” Jey says.
“They’re getting kinda close,” Jimmy says. He sounds much too eager for the present situation.
“Kevin, you are so blinded by your hatred that you were willing to help the Rock! Solo would’ve become the Undisputed Champion if the Rock had won that match!” Sami says. “You have lost the plot if you don’t see something wrong with that!”
“Lost the plot? I haven’t lost anything! ” Kevin argues. “ You’ve lost the plot, Sami! Seth Rollins has lost the plot! Cody Rhodes has lost the plot! I’d say Jey Uso has lost the plot but he’s too stupid to have known what it was to begin with!”
Roman tosses the remote on the couch.
“That’s all I need!” he says, and he’s out of their dressing room and down the hall in the next second.
How generous of Kevin to give Roman two reasons to beat his ass in one moment.
Roman speeds through Gorilla, his skin buzzing. Unfortunately for Cody, Roman is definitely about to have fun with this.
Sami and Kevin are too busy arguing to notice Roman marching down the ramp. They don’t even turn around when the audience reacts to him.
“You’ve got one more time to say something about Jey!” Sami shouts.
“Aw, you’re mad that I said something mean about your ‘best friend?’” Kevin asks nastily. “What are you gonna do to me, Sami? What are you going to do if I say that Jey Uso is a pathetic son of a bitch?”
Roman climbs into the ring. Sami’s face lights up when he spots Roman.
Roman puts a heavy hand on Kevin’s shoulder. Kevin freezes and tenses all over. Roman drops his hand and waits for Kevin to turn around. He wants to savor the moment.
Kevin slowly turns around and faces Roman with a red face and heaving chest. Roman grins and stretches his arms out.
Kevin swings first. Roman has to give it to him: he gets a couple of good shots in. But, a couple of shots is all Kevin gets in.
They trade wild blows, with Roman hitting Kevin in the side, stomach, and head. They stagger across the ring and Roman bullies Kevin into a turnbuckle. Kevin tries to kick Roman in the shin, but his foot glances off Roman’s leg ineffectively.
The crowd is losing its collective mind, and somewhere in the ring, Jimmy and Jey have joined Sami. Roman can hear Jimmy talking shit and even in the middle of this fight, Roman starts to laugh.
Roman knows that he probably shouldn’t laugh as he punches Kevin, but he can’t help himself.
Roman is still laughing when security guards pour into the ring. Six or seven men get between him and Kevin, and Roman finds himself being pushed to the opposite side of the ring. Jimmy and Jey are yelling at the guards, telling them to let Roman go handle his business.
Kevin angrily points at Roman from over the herd of security guards holding him.
“This isn’t over!” he yells.
Roman just keeps laughing. His face is starting to ache with it.
Roman rolls out of the ring and his family follows close behind him. All four of them are laughing like loons by the time they’re backstage again. Jimmy, Jey, and Sami are all jumping around Roman, jostling him like excited children on a playground.
Roman’s phone rings in his pocket. He pulls it out with a big smile. He already knows who it is.
“Hi, Cody,” Roman drawls into the phone.
“ Roman ,” Cody says, “you promised!”
Roman chuckles. He can feel his face flushing.
“Sorry, but you know I couldn’t pass up that opportunity.”
Cody laughs, soft and sweet.
“I’ll forgive you this one time, babe.”
Jimmy, Jey, and Sami go nuts. They tease and taunt Roman, calling him “ babe ” and giggling. And Roman can’t stop smiling.
###
Roman and Cody are stretched out on Roman’s patio when an idea strikes him: he needs to call the Rock. Cody watches as Roman dials the Rock’s number.
“Ah, Roman,” the Rock answers with a sigh. “I knew you’d come calling eventually.”
Roman glances over to Cody to see him fighting back a devilish grin. Roman puts a finger to his lips. Shh!
“I knew I had to after what Cody did to you,” Roman says. “Seeing him beat you like that made me realize how important it is to protect my family from outsiders.”
“That’s exactly right, Roman,” the Rock says. “We have to empower ourselves. We have to be on top at all times. We cannot let any of them think that they can touch us. We need to take our power back.”
“And that starts with you,” Roman supplies. “You’ll lead us back to the top?”
Roman can hear the slimy grin on the Rock’s face.
“Of course, I will,” the Rock says. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”
Cody rolls his eyes so hard they look like they might get stuck. Roman bites the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.
“Because you’re the Head of the Table, right?” Roman says.
“I always have been,” the Rock declares. “And I always will be.”
“Does Solo know that?” Roman says. “Does he realize that you’re the Chief?”
“He’ll know his place,” the Rock says. “And he’ll fall in line.”
“What if he doesn’t?” Roman asks. “You know he’s dead set on being the Tribal Chief.”
The Rock makes a dismissive sound.
“Then I’ll handle him. Don’t you worry about it.”
Roman sighs and drops the act.
“Oh, Rock,” Roman says, “you are exactly what I thought you were.”
The Rock scoffs, clearly flustered by the change in Roman’s tone.
“And that is?”
“A power-hungry snake,” Roman says. “See, I figured something was up when the Tongans came out to help you and not Solo. Y’all let Solo get his ass kicked with no problem. That title was just going to be a consolation prize for him, wasn’t it?”
“And it would’ve been a hell of a prize, too,” the Rock says. “But, for whatever reason, you and those damn twins insist on choosing Cody Rhodes over your family.”
“Cody is my family,” Roman says. “And so are Jimmy, Jey, and Sami. And, whether I like it or not, so is Solo. From where I’m sitting, you are the outsider. And I’m going to need you to leave me and my family alone. Because, once Solo acknowledges that I’m the true Tribal Chief, there won’t be any more room for your bullshit.”
The Rock outright laughs at Roman. That’s just fine by Roman.
“You’ll never be done with me, Roman,” the Rock says. “I hope you know that.”
Roman grins. “And you’ll never be done with me.”
Roman ends the call and puts his phone down. Cody is smiling up at him fondly. Those proverbial butterflies are at it again in the middle of Roman’s stomach.
“What are we going to do about Solo?” Cody asks.
Roman sighs. “I’m not sure yet.”
Cody shrugs. “Five heads are better than one. We’ll figure it out.”
Roman snorts. “Or maybe we won’t and all hell will break loose.”
Cody sits up and kisses Roman. He’s warm and familiar in Roman’s arms.
“Or that,” Cody says with a big, toothy grin. “I’ll be here either way.”
“Yeah,” Roman says, totally certain. “I know.”