Checks & Championships

5

//Flashback//
Roman's P.O.V
The new batch of superstars came in today and introduce themselves. 2 Girls, Marlana Nicole and Rachelle Morgan, and a couple of guys.
I watched as they went through the performance center protocol and the girls had it in them.
"It's Morgan and Nicole right?" I ask as I approach them, and they nod. "Nice to meet you. I'm Roman." I say and they shake my hand.
"Nice to meet you Roman." Marlana says and her touch is warm and soft.
"Well, I'll be seeing you two around." I say and turn around when my phone starts ringing.
"What have I told you about calling me on new recruit days?" I bark at my wife and she just sighs.
"Roman, don't talk to me like that. I'm your wife." She says and I scoff as I walk into the locker room.
"Yeah you say that." I say and I can hear her hesitating to talk to me. "What is the reason for your call?" I say sarcastically.
"I just miss you. So do the kids." She says. I walk around and find a chair and sit down.
"You didn't seem to miss me when you were fucking someone else." I say and she sighs.
"I already apologized. I was lonely." She says and I hang up the phone and throw it on the couch and walk out of the room, accidentally bumping and knocking someone down.
It was Marlana. "Shit girl, I'm sorry." I say and offer my hand to bring her to her feet.
"Oh it's okay, I should have paid attention to where I eas going." She says and fixes her shirt before looking up at me. "Are you okay?" She asks me and I nod, but she doesn't look like she believes me. "Are you sure?" She says, her voice very light and sweet.
"It's a long story." I tell her and she nods. I run my hand through my hair and picks up her bag.
"Well, I'm a good listener if you ever need someone to talk to." She says and starts to walk off.
"Hey Marlana!" I call after her and she stops and turns around. "I may take you up on that offer." I say and she smiles back at me and nods before turning back around and walking off again.
The next day, her and Rachelle were working on some tag moves when my wife called again. I ignored it and walked over to them, stepping in the ring. "Oh hey, Roman." Marlana says, smiling at me.
"So, you guys are a tag team?" I ask them and they nod. "For about 5 years now." Rachelle says and I nod.
"I was watching over there, and it seems like Marlana is the powerhouse and Rachelle is more into the flips?" I ask them and they nod. "Alright then, I'll leave you to it." I say and climb out of the ring to go back and watch them as well as the new guys.
Marlana's P.O.V
Roman had walked back over to his table, watching all the trainee's and he looks at his phone and quickly declines it. It's happened a lot during the past few minutes. He walks out and we continue to run the ropes and work on some moves.
When he comes back in, he seems even more disgruntled and we had finished up our training session. "Hey, i'll meet up with you in a few minutes." I tell Rachelle and as everyone clears out, I still bump and run the ropes. I finally stop and make my way out of the ring and I hear Roman talking to someone on the phone and he slams it down.
"Hey Roman." I say and his demeanor changes as he looks up at me. He stands up and puts his phone in his pocket.
"Hey, sorry. How long have you been standing there?" He asks and he just looks exhausted.
"Not long, I just got done training. Are you okay?" I ask him and he hesitates before answering. "I'm here for you, just know that okay?" I tell him and he nods.
I take that as my que to leave, and he follows behind slowly. We reach our cars outside and he stops again. "Marlana?" He calls out and I turn around. "Yeah?" I answer and he looks off to the side.
"Where do you want to go?" I ask him and he faces me again, with a small smile.
"How did you know?" He asks and I laugh. "I'm good at reading people." I tell him and he nods and opens his door. "I know a place, follow me. He says and I follow behind him.
We end up at a deserted place just outside of where we just were and he sits down, beckoning me to follow him. "I don't know where to start." He says after a moment of silence and I place my hand on his shoulder. "We don't have to talk. I can just be here for you." I tell him and he nods, looking out at the sunset.
He continues to stare out at the sunset, and we sit there as it slowly goes down. "My wife cheated on me." He finally says and he lets out a shaky sigh. "And I don't know what to do about since we have kids."
"Oh wow, I'm so sorry Roman." I tell him and he just sits there. "Did you know the guy?" I ask him and he shakes his head. He turns to look at me, his tears in his eyes.
"I was trying to make things work for the kids' sake, but I don't think I can do it anymore. It's breaking me." He says and rests his forehead against his knees.
"You have to look out for yourself. If you know in your heart that it can't work, then take steps to leave the marriage. There are plenty of ways to do it." I tell him and he nods.
"I'm sorry for breaking down like this. I just don't have people to talk to about it. We were supposed to be the couple that was, you know, THE couple and we haven't been on the same page in a while, even before the affair, so, I don't know what to do. I just know I have to do something soon or I will lose myself." He says and runs his hand through his hair and looks up at the sky.
"Why don't we go do something that makes you happy?" I ask him and he looks up at me. "What do you mean?" He asks and I stand up and reach my hand out to grab his, helping him up.
"What is something you love to do, but haven't in a long time?" I ask him and he shrugs his shoulders. "You don't know?" I ask him and he shakes his head.
"The majority of my life was spent with Galina and the kids. I always catered to their needs and wants." He says and I walk over and give him a hug.
"I'm so sorry." I say as I hug him, and he tightens his arms around me. "Me too." He whispers and doesn't let go of his hold on me.
//Present Day//
Marlana's P.O.V
Rachelle and I had already made it down to the ring when Lana and Lacey had come out. They grab a mic and throw up, knowing that this was going to be terrible. "Oh, guys look who it is! Marlana and Rachelle." Lana says and I look back to Rachelle who was standing on the outside of the ring. "Just a couple of nasties if you ask me." Lacey says and enters the ring. "But, of course, I'm not as nasty as you are, Marlana." She says and walks up to me. "How's it feel to be the other woman." I slap her hard across the face and take down to the mat. The referee signaling the bell to start the match.
"Are you kidding me?" She yells and I slap her again, backing into the my corner to tag Rachelle. I think she could tell that Lacey was getting to me because she tagged me on my back and gave me the "I got this" look.
Roman's P.O.V
I stood backstage and watched the girls match and the beginning of it, Marlana didn't have her head in it after what Lacey said. I wish there was a way for me to show her that I won't do this to her. No one really knows what we have gone through.
"Hey man, everything okay?" Austin asks me as he walks up to stand next to me.
"Marlana keeps letting people into her head. I wish I knew what to do to prove to her that I would never hurt her." I tell Austin and he nods, bringing his coffee up to his mouth and taking a drink.
"You guys have been working on this for literally years. Is it too soon to propose to her? Or if anything, get her a promise ring?" He asks and I look at my girl on the T.V.
"I don't want to say no, but I am freshly divorced, and I know that I will marry her one day. I'm just afraid that she will think I am moving too fast." I tell Austin and he sits there for a moment, watching Rachelle take down Lana in the middle of the ring.
"Well, based off what Rachelle has told me. You're the one for Marlana." He says and my heart beats fast.
"Wait, Marlana has told Rachelle that?" I ask him and he nods.
"She's not going anywhere. She loves you." He says and I look up at the T.V to see that Rachelle picks up the win for her and Marlana. I can't help to glance at Marlana who celebrates in the ring with her best friend, but there is a look in her eyes that has me worried. Fear.
//Flashback//
Marlana's P.O.V
I had been hanging out with Roman a lot lately. It was always little things like, going to his apartment to watch movies or going out to eat. He had been smiling a lot. A lot more than he was when I had first met him.
"Okay, you're turn. Craziest place you've had sex." He says and I shake my head. "Oh, come on." He says and places his hand on my knee and pushes it down on the couch.
"Fine, there are quite a few but I'd say the bridge where I grew up at." I say and he wiggles his eyebrows at me and I laugh and grab some more chips from the bowl.
"Alright well, let's put on this movie and relax the rest of the night." He says and some how I manage to crawl over to him and lay my head on his shoulder. He wraps a blanket around us, and I feel very happy and content.
Later in the night he had taken me to his bed and laid me down. I hadn't realized until I woke up in the middle of the night. I walked to the kitchen and Roman was awake on the couch. "Hey, you alright?" He asks me and I nod.
"Just needed some water." I tell him and he nods, grunting as he tries to get up from the couch. He had no shirt on and a pair of basketball shorts hung from his hips. "Why don't you take your bed? I'm going to head home." I tell him and he shakes his head.
"Marlana it's 3 am. Just go lay back down." He says and he pours himself a drink.
I grab the glass out of his hand and place it on the counter. "I don't do it often." He says and I grab his hand and lead him to his bed. I grab my keys and he sits up. "Please don't go." He begs and his eyes are full of sadness. I nod and crawl over to him as he pulls the blanket back for me.
I lay down and face the other way when his arms reach out and pull me to him. His skin was warm to the touch. "You make me feel like myself again." He whispers and I roll over to face him. He looks at me for a second before leaning down and pressing his lips to mine.
It was intoxicating, but so was he. He pulls away and presses one to my forehead. "Goodnight sweetheart." He tells me and closes his eyes.
That's when I realized that he was drunk and wouldn't remember this in the morning.
That's when I also realized that I was in love with him.
//Present Day//
Rachelle's P.O.V
Marlana and I had just finished our match and I could tell something was off as we walked to the back. I met up with Austin, who was standing with Roman and they looked to be in a serious conversation so instead, I went to check on Marlana.
I hear the shower running but she was sitting down on the floor, in her gear, with the shower running and she was crying. "Marlie?" I call out to her and she turns and looks up at me. "What's wrong?" I ask her and turn off the shower.
"Go grab my phone." She says and I do and open it to twitter where she was currently being sent death threats. "I have to break up with him." She says and starts sobbing into her knees. "Please don't get Roman. This has to be done." She whispers and I turn off her phone and help her up and out of her wet clothes.
As she gets done getting dressed, Austin is knocking on the door. "Hey babe, you seen Marlana? Roman is looking everywhere for her and he's worried." He says and I look up at Marlana who shakes her head. "Please don't." She mouths at me.
"Um no babe I haven't seen her." I say and he walks off. I pack up my stuff and slide my ring onto my finger.
"When did you get that?!" She exclaims, looking at my ring.
"Oh um, a few days ago." I say and she smiles.
"Congratulations. We should go celebrate. Right now." She says and wipes her tears. I can tell she's avoiding Roman. "Can I stay with y'all tonight?" She asks and I hesitate to answer. "What is it?" She asks.
"You need to talk to Roman about how you're feeling. He loves you." I tell her and she looks down at the ground.
"I'm getting death threats Rachelle. Even from Galina." She says in a whisper.
"Wait what?" A voice says and that's when Austin enters the room. "Rachelle, you lied to me?" He asks, the look of pure heart break on his face. "Roman is literally running around trying to find her!" He yells at me.
"I know." I say and he picks up and calls Roman. "Found her. Come to the girl's locker room." He tells Roman before walking out.
Roman walks in looking panicked and runs to Marlana, wrapping his arms around her. "Are you okay?" He asks her and she just buries her head in his chest. He looks between me and Austin and is wondering what the hell just happened.
I follow Austin out and into the car and he turns and looks at me. "Why?" He asks me.
"She's my best friend and she asked me to." I say and he starts the car. He starts to drive off and I can tell he's pissed.
"He's my best friend too, Rachelle." He says and sighs.
"I'm sorry." I tell him and he just remains silent.
"What was it even about? Because he is worried to death that she doesn't think he can be there for her. He is literally terrified to lose her." He tells me and all I can think is how she is going to shatter his heart into a million pieces.
"Well, I'm sure you heard part of it. She's receiving death threats. She even got one form his ex-wife. She was saying that she can't handle it. She said she has to break up with him." I say and he shuts his eyes and grabs the wheel tighter.
"Fuck!" He yells and hits the wheel. "He is thinking about giving her a promise ring Rachelle!" He yells. My heart aches for Austin because I know he's trying to protect his best friend, so was I. They have been through so much and just deserve to be happy.
He finally calms down and reaches over to grab my hand. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to take it out on you. He just finally got her and now he's going to lose her, and I just know it's going to fuck him up." He says and I feel the same way. I just hope they can work through this.