
Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/3478001.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      F/M
  Fandom:
      World_Wrestling_Entertainment
  Relationship:
      Roman_Reigns_/_Original_Female_Character
  Character:
      Roman_Reigns, Original_Female_Character
  Series:
      Part 3 of Don't_Get_Mad_Series
  Stats:
      Published: 2015-03-04 Words: 4908
****** Slow Me Down ******
by InsaneCaliGurl
Summary
     Roman and Antonia have a fight about the wedding...How will it affect
     them, their friends and their work?
                                 Slow_Me_Down
                     (Sequel_to_Don’t_Get_Mad_&_Get_Even)
                                        
August_18,_2014
 
“Why are you being such a bitch about all of this?” Roman asked with a growl.
 
“Because you’re not listening to what I’m trying to tell you Roman. My family
is Christian and even though I don’t practice it anymore that doesn’t mean they
are going to accept my wedding on the beach. I love the idea but my mother
hates sand and there is no way in hell that she’s going to just ‘kick off her
shoes and enjoy the free pedicure’ as you so eloquently put it.” Antonia
snapped.
 
“Oh my God Toni, it’s OUR wedding not THEIR wedding. It should be our fucking
decision where we have it.” Roman stated as he threw his hands up in the air
when Antonia crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head negatively at
him.
 
“Can you just for one second see it from their point of view? I’m the only girl
left in the family to get married. My older sister Camille eloped in Vegas and
my other older sister Alyssa eloped in Reno. I’m their last chance to have a
nice big wedding in a church. As much as I love the beach idea I can’t go along
with it.” Antonia stated before she pulled her fingers through her honey blonde
as she stared at her fiancée.
 
“Antonia, maybe I should call and speak with your mother.” Patricia stated as
she stood from the table where she had been watching her baby boy and his
fiancée arguing. Things were starting to get heated quickly.
 
Antonia looked down and the older woman as she shook her head. “No thank you
Patty. We are going to have to come to some kind of agreement. Everyone
attending the wedding has to be happy.”
 
Patty looked at her youngest child. “Roman you’re going to have to accept the
fact that Toni’s parents are stricter than our family. It’s not like the roof
of the church is going to cave in if the entire Reigns’ family steps foot
inside for a joyous occasion - like a say - a wedding.”
 
Roman’s hands were planted on his jean covered hips as he rolled his eyes.
“Great. Thanks Antonia you turned my own mother against me now. Any more family
members of mine you want to get on your side to get your own way?” Roman asked
in a snarky tone. “Hell Matt and the twins already adore you; why don’t you
just go ahead and get with one of them.”
 
“Really Roman?” She asked as her eyes narrowed at him.
 
“Yes; really Antonia.” He snapped.
 
“So what do you want me to say?” Toni asked softly.
 
“Nothing. I want you to stand there and say nothing.” He growled at her.
 
Antonia stood there as she watched his eyebrows drop to the bridge of his nose
as he shook his head. “Fuck this shit. Just tell me where to fuckin show up and
maybe I’ll be there and maybe I won’t.” Roman brushed past Antonia and out the
front of the house; slamming the front door as he went.
 
Patty walked over and touched Toni’s shoulder before she looked up at her sons
fiancée. “He’s just under a lot of stress right now; since the writers split up
the Shield and he’s been on his own.”
 
“Yea sure stress…” Antonia sniffled as she pulled her three stone diamond ring
off her left finger and set it on the dining room table before she turned and
left the Reigns family home.
__________________________________________________________________
 
Antonia was snapped out of her private thoughts as she was sitting in the
writers meeting regarding the Wyatt Family. Antonia had not spoken to Roman in
3 weeks and she missed him so much. He hadn’t tried to call her or attempt to
talk to her while on the road.
 
The writers had decided it was time for the Shield to implode on June
2ndduringMonday Night Raw. It forced the guys into singles competition and
since then Roman, Dean and Seth’s singles careers had literally blown up. They
had made Seth the bad boy heel and had him turn on Roman and Dean. It had been
painfully hard to watch. Their last match as the Shield had been the night
before on Sunday June 1st at the companies PPV Payback. They had gotten their
second win over Evolution and Antonia loved rubbing it in Paul’s face. He would
just chuckle at her feistiness and say he knew he hired her as a writer for a
reason.
 
Antonia knew Roman was stressed out because his schedule had suddenly tripled;
he had ten times the interviews and signings, plus more media and appearances.
He had just taken on Randy Orton at the August PPV SummerSlam the night before
and won his first major singles PPV match. She was so proud of him, but they
weren’t speaking and she couldn’t even congratulate him.
 
“What do you think Toni; female angel of darkness for the Wyatt’s or not?”
Bryan asked curiously.
 
“Why are you guys forever trying to add some weird gothic girl to my group? Do
they really look like they need a harbinger of death when the have Bray fuckin
Wyatt at the wheel of that crazy train?” Antonia asked honestly. “Stop trying
to add to the damn group; less is more people.”
 
“So no angel of darkness…” Bryan tried once more.
 
“NO!”
 
That was the resounding answer that everyone in the room shouted before the
meeting was declared officially over as everyone filed out of the room and went
their own ways before Raw started.
__________________________________________________________________
 
Roman walked through the hallway of the arena. He knew he needed to get ready
for his match tonight but he honestly didn’t feel like suiting up in his new
riot gear; actually he didn’t feel like doing a whole hell of a lot. He had met
up with Dean and they were on their way to catering to grab some water and a
couple of small sandwiches that way they didn’t go to the ring with empty
belly’s but yet not so full they would puke at ring side.
 
Tonight was Dean’s last night for the next 32 days. He had signed up to do a
WWE movie called Lockdown. Roman was excited and proud of his ex-stable
brother. He was going to miss the hell out of him; still 32 days wasn’t that
bad and he could handle it.
 
Roman snapped up from the floor as he stopped when he nearly mowed over someone
and his eyes found the familiar blues of Antonia as she stood there; before he
could say anything she turned and scooted ass down the hallway in the opposite
direction.
 
“Man, when the fuck are you going to talk to her?” Dean asked from behind
Roman.
 
Roman shook his head as he watched his…Antonia high tail it down the hallway as
he sighed heavily. “I was such a dick to her I don’t even know if I can say I’m
sorry enough to her. I can’t believe I was such an asshole.”
 
Dean clapped Roman on the back. “Bro, you can’t help it.  She understands the
kind of stress you’ve been under since the end of the Shield.”
 
“Bro I just walked away from her. The whole time we’ve been together she’s been
nothing but supportive of me and my career and even more so when the split
happened. All she wanted to do was make her family happy and just get married.
Hell if I thought I could get away with it we would’ve gone to Vegas the day
after I proposed and gotten married.” Roman stated truthfully. All they both
really wanted was to get married and spend the rest of their lives together.
The big wedding they were doing for their families not for them.
 
Dean shook his head. “Bro, that is not going to happen not with Patricia Reigns
as your mother; your mother would never let you get away with eloping. I don’t
know Toni’s family but I highly doubt they’d let her do it either.”
 
Roman shook his head. “No, that was the whole point of the wedding. Both of her
older sisters eloped and she wants to give her dad a chance to walk her down
the aisle; he’s getting older and he’s got Arthritis in every damn joint. He
and her mother had her later in life than expected, kind of like my parents
only they are older than my folks, and to be honest they look like they could
be her grandparents.”
 
“Yikes. That is a potential problem.” Dean mumbled.
 
“Yea…and I didn’t help matters by just walking away from the entire situation.
I let my Samoan temper get the best of me and got pissed when my mom was trying
to reason with me and I mouthed off to Toni and I know I hurt her feelings for
what I said.” Roman admitted.
 
“Yea I heard about that.” Dean chuckled at the sour look on Roman’s face.
“What? Hello she and Rachel are best friends. Of course your girl is gonna go
to mine and talk. I heard every sorted detail, even down to her leaving the
engagement ring at your mothers, which I know for a fact, is in your damn
pocket. You need to go find her apologize and put that ring where it’s supposed
to be.” Dean pointed out.
 
Roman sighed heavily.
 
Dean was right…Fuck Dean was always right.
__________________________________________________________________
 
“Well I was going to ask if you and Roman had spoken yet but the way you just
hauled ass like your booty was on fire; I’ll say no you haven’t.” Rachel
observed as she caught up to her friend who could’ve gotten a medal at the
Olympics for speed walking just now.
 
Antonia’s breathe was labored and she was close to hyperventilating. She hadn’t
been face to face with Roman in 3 weeks, not since their fight. She’d actually
done a hell of a job avoiding him until tonight. Why did he have to be in the
hallway when she was?  Why did he have to look so fuckin good in his new ‘Roman
Reigns’ black t-shirt, black jogging pants and black sneakers. His long
beautiful raven hair was dry and down.
 
Rachel watched as Antonia walked over to the wall and leaned her rear against
it as she bent over at the waist and had her hands on the tops of her knees
sucking in oxygen. She walked over and rubbed her best friends back. “Hey calm
down before you pass out and I have to lug your body to the trainer’s office. I
can barely lift myself for chin ups at the gym with Dean; which he finds
fascinating and funny all at once.”
 
Antonia pushed away from the wall as she pulled her fingers through her honey
blonde hair. “I didn’t expect to see him. I’ve been avoiding the shit out of
him.” Antonia looked over at her best friend. “I’m in trouble Rachel. I’m in
big trouble.” Tears suddenly cascaded down Toni’s cheeks. “I’m in so much
trouble and I don’t know what to do.”
 
Rachel frowned. “Oh honey it can’t be that bad.” She immediately pulled her
friend into her arms and rubbed up and down her back to try soothing her. “Toni
what happened? What’s wrong?” Rachel asked. She could feel her best friends
body shaking as she sobbed against her shoulder.
 
Antonia pulled away from Rachel as she walked into the ladies rest room with
Rachel behind her. She walked along the bathroom stalls before she locked the
door; satisfied they were completely alone without wondering ears. Antonia
turned to Rachel’s curious jade eyes. “I’m pregnant; about two months.”
 
“What? Are you shitting me?” Rachel asked so loudly her voice echoed in the
empty bathroom.
 
“A little louder Rachel the dead in England couldn’t hear you.” Antonia
scolded. “And no I’m not shitting you. You’ve been dating Dean far too long. He
asks me that all the time.” Antonia could feel her stomach getting queasy. “I
skipped my period and just thought it was stress. And then with all this mess
between Roman and I not speaking…I haven’t exactly been sleeping properly so I
finally went to the doctor on Friday. Surprise was on me, it wasn’t stress or
sleepless nights. I’m pregnant with Roman’s baby and we’re not even on speaking
terms. We haven’t said a word to each other in 3 weeks Rachel. What am I going
to do?” Antonia asked as she felt the tears leaking from her eyes once again.
 
Rachel walked over as she gathered Antonia in her arms again. “You’re going to
calm down, because getting upset isn’t going to be good for the baby. Second
you’re going to have to tell me if you’re keeping the baby or are you going to
get rid of it. And then you need to decide if you’re going to tell Roman or
just ignore the fact that you two belong together and nothing proves it more
than carrying his child.”
 
“I don’t even know how to tell him Rach. I can’t just walk up to him and be
like…so we haven’t spoken in 3 weeks, but I’d like you to know I’m pregnant and
clearly the baby is yours.” Antonia sniffled. “Of course I’m keeping the baby.
It didn’t ask to be born into an already broke home.” Her blackberry beeped as
she looked down at the text from Paul. “Shit. I have to get going the Wyatt’s
are up next and I have to watch it with Paul.”
 
“Hey Antonia, don’t worry ok? Things will fall into place. For some reason
things always have a way of working themselves out.” Rachel stated as she
watched her friend unlock the bathroom door before she hauled ass out and down
the hallway.
 
Rachel couldn’t and wouldn’t tell Roman about the baby, but there had to be
something else she could do.
 
She just had to figure out what it was now.
__________________________________________________________________
 
Paul’s hazel eyes watched Antonia as she sat on the equipment trunk with him.
It was fairly obvious she’d been crying and he knew it was because of Roman.
Word going around the back was they couldn’t decide on the venue for the
wedding and had split. Paul could tell by the defeated look on Toni’s face that
whatever had transpired between she and Roman was really starting to take its
toll on her. But she refused to discuss her personal life with anyone at work.
 
Sometimes she was so stubborn.
 
“Antonia, where’s your head girl; because it sure isn’t here tonight?” Paul
asked.
 
Antonia looked up from her laptop that was perched on her indian style folded
legs next to Paul on the Equipment trunk. “What do you mean?” She asked;
playing dumb was never her strong suit.
 
Paul shook his head and gave her a knowing look. “C’mon Toni, this is me you’re
talking to; the same guy who seems to be linked to your brain when it comes to
fuckin great story lines for the Wyatt’s. You’ve been quiet the last three
weeks and I haven’t asked you about it up until this point because I knew it
wasn’t any of my business. But I can see the dark circles under your eyes from
no sleep and…and you look thinner so something tells me you haven’t been eating
properly either. So out with it; is what everyone seems to be gossiping about
you and Roman splitting true?” He asked flat out.
 
Antonia smiled weakly. This was what she loved about Paul – they could be
completely honest with one another and still maintain a friendship/co-worker
relationship. To her Stephanie was the luckiest woman on Earth. All you had to
do was look at then when they were together and know they were blissfully and
hopelessly in love with each other and it just grew when they had their three
daughters. “Depends on what you heard I guess.”
 
Paul scowled at her avoidance. “Don’t play with me Toni.” He could see the
sadness in her eyes and he wasn’t about to make her cry. “Word going around the
back is that you guys got into a fight about the wedding and split.” That was
all he was going to say; she would have to speak up if she wanted him to know
the whole story.
 
Antonia sighed heavily as she nodded. “Yea, when we first got engaged we knew
with how big both of our families were we couldn’t avoid a small wedding and
clearly eloping was out of the question. But with my parents being strict
Christians, Roman’s idea of a beach wedding wouldn’t work. I tried to explain
to him that I already tried talking to my parents; they said if we don’t have a
traditional church wedding – they won’t be going to the wedding and to them I
won’t be married in their eyes and then they will not recognize Roman as my
husband.”
 
Paul cringed. “Family is everything in this life. You’re being put through the
ringer by not just your parents but now also by Roman. He wants the beach
wedding for his heritage because that’s how his parents and sisters and brother
were all married and now it gets to him and suddenly your parents are
pressuring for an entirely different wedding. What does Roman’s family say
about a church wedding?” Paul asked curiously.
 
Antonia frowned. “His mom tried to convince him it wasn’t necessarily a bad
thing and he was quick to accuse me of turning his mom against him and then he
got snarky and smarted off about his brother and the twins liking me and I can
always go and be with one of them instead.”
 
“Ouch…” Paul stated softly as he took her laptop and closed it as he put it on
the other side of him before he wrapped his arm around Antonia. “Listen to
me…whatever he said when he was mad was said in the heat of the moment and he
did NOT mean it. Roman is a level headed guy but when he is poked and prodded
that Samoan temper rears it’s ugly head and he spouts off before he thinks
about it. Don’t get me wrong I’m not taking his side. I just know what he’s
like because I was the same way. Vince had Steph and I break up – you know this
we’ve talked about it before. I was pissed to the point of just leaving the
company; I was willing to sacrifice my career to be with her anyway I could.
But Vince finally came around to the idea of us being together and look at us
now. 3 kids – though I wouldn’t mind a couple more.” Paul smiled cheekily.
“Just go talk to him.”
 
“I can’t. I’ve been avoiding him so well the last three weeks and I finally ran
into him tonight as in face to face and I hyperventilated almost to the point
of passing out.” Toni shook her head as she attempted to keep her tears at bay.
“I just miss him so much and if getting married is going to ruin what we had
then fuck it; we can just be engaged until we both die. I don’t need to be
married to him to spend the rest of my life with him. I’ll change my last name
to his and we’ll live happily ever after.” She could feel the tears pricking
her eyes once more. “Excuse me.” She reached around Paul and grabbed her laptop
as she jogged off down the hall to her office.
 
She needed some re-grouping.
 
Paul watched her take off and shook his head. Clearly their time apart was
having a negative effect on her and he could already tell the big man was
struggling with her as well; though his performance in the ring didn’t show it
– he was professional if nothing else.
__________________________________________________________________
 
“I don’t know about this Toni…I don’t think this is the right way to go with
the group.” Roman stated as he looked at the script that Paul had the writing
team put together before the PPV Payback. His eyebrows were knitted together as
his grey eyes stared at the script. It wasn’t meant to happen until Monday
Night Raw after the Payback PPV.
 
Antonia was sitting on the couch next to Roman at their house in Pensacola
Florida. She watched him as he was leaning forward with his elbows resting on
his jean covered thighs. Her hand was sliding up and down his right tattooed
arm as she was trying to comfort him. “Baby Paul said they were going to start
pushing you. If they don’t split you guys up you won’t be able to start your
singles careers; Dean and Seth included. I know it sucks with the way they are
going to do it but it has to be done.”
 
Roman shook his head as he tossed the script on the coffee table and sat back
against the couch. “I don’t like the way they are doing it. If they were going
to break us up why not do it during the fuckin Shield Summit back in March why
have us ‘make up’ only to keep us together for 3 more months and then go
surprise Seth is going to be an asshole and break you guys up.”
 
Antonia frowned as she suddenly moved and straddled Roman’s lap as she softly
rubbed his t-shirt covered chest. “Babe, is it a terrible way to end your two
years together with these guys you’ve wrestled, sweated and bleed with; hell
yes! Is it sucky to end one of the best factions in WWE this way; fuck yes! But
you want to be the WWE Champion one day right?” She asked as Roman nodded while
watching and listening to his fiancée. “Well this is what is going to take you
there.”
 
“I know – believe me I know. But I also know I’m nowhere near ready for the
title baby. I still need to work on my mic skills and my singles wrestling; I’m
so used to wrestling with 2 other partners out there I get breaks in between
but wrestling on my own I’m going to get worn out faster. I’m going to look
like I can’t hack it. I know I got the skills. Whatever dad and uncle Afa
taught me was enough but FCW/NXT pushed me into the position of being called to
the main roster for a reason. I don’t know I just don’t think this is the right
direction.” Roman stated very frustrated as he pulled his fingers through his
raven mane.
 
“Roman, believe me there are going to be a million and one people who say
you’re not ready for it, but what they don’t understand is – you’re not winning
the title tomorrow – you’re winning it in the future and no one knows when. It
could be next month or next year. Paul was placed as the COO of the company for
a reason. He will watch you hone your skills as a singles competitor and when
you’re ready he will come to you and tell you to be ready to win the belt at
some major PPV. Until then just go with the flow. Keep working out, keep
working on your mic skills and keep going in the ring like you’ve always done.”
 
“How are you this fucking confident in me?” Roman asked.
 
“Because I love you and I see the hard work you put into being the best and how
you and Dean and Seth support each other so much in the ring, out of the ring
and in the gym and just in your day to day lives. I want to hear your name
announced as being the WWE champion and I want to see that strap around your
waist. You looked good with the Tag Team titles and I know it was awesome as
those being your first since your dad and uncle held the same titles, but your
next step is the WWE Championship. You don’t know when or where but it’s going
to happen.” Antonia wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she kissed his
lips softly. “Besides I can’t wait for you to have your own t-shirt so I can be
sitting at home with nothing but my Roman Reigns t-shirt on and a smile and
send you cute selfies.”
 
Roman chuckled hard. “You do that now with my Shield shirts. What’s the
difference?”
 
“The name on it...” She smiled softly.
__________________________________________________________________
 
Roman shook his head. Antonia was the one who was fully supportive of his
singles career starting. She had been HIS voice of reason when he wasn’t sure
about it. Even up until they got to the arena for Monday Night Raw on June 2nd
she was still talking to him. Hell she even spoke with Dean and Seth. She
pointed it all out and laid it all on the line. Antonia had the knack for not
sugar coating anything and it was exactly what all three of them needed to
hear.
 
“Man you look like shit.”
 
“Double shitty actually.”
 
Roman was pulled from his thoughts as the familiar voices rang through the
locker room. He looked up and saw Jimmy and Jey his twin cousins standing in
his and Dean’s locker room. “What’s up guys?” He stood up as they bumped fists
as the twins sat in a couple of fold up chairs.
 
Jey shook his head. “Word around the back was that you and Antonia split and I
can tell by just the look on your face and those shitty dark circles under your
eyes it’s true. What the fuck happened man?”
 
Roman shook his head as he sat back down and watched as Jey sat in a metal fold
up chair across from him. “We were having an argument about where the venue of
the wedding should be and I let my damn Samoan temper loose and the rest was
history along with our relationship.”
 
Jimmy cringed. “Bro you need to get your shit together and get her back. Look
how long it took me to even ask Cara on a date.”
 
“I’ve been saying that for the last 3 weeks.” Dean added as he walked out of
the bathroom and bumped his fist against Jey’s and took another chair. “Let me
tell you something big man. There are a lot of couples out there who really
shouldn’t be together; they shouldn’t put themselves through the torture of
getting hitched and popping out puppies, but you and Antonia – you two are
about as perfect as a couple can get. You two belong together and if you can’t
see that since she’s been out of your life for the last three weeks that you’ve
been missing half of your soul, then you never will and you’re going to lose
her to someone else.”
 
Jey chuckled softly. “That’s saying something coming from Dean, uce.”
 
Dean chuckled. “I need to go find Rachel. I’ll catch you later big man.”
 
Roman watched as Dean was up and out the door as he continued getting ready for
his match. Roman shook his head. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”
 
Jey shook his head negatively. “Uce, you know exactly what to do. You’ve known
all along. I’ve never seen you happier than when you’re with Antonia. Toni is
it for you. She’s a strong intelligent woman and she loves you and she keeps
you on your toes at all times; just like you do to her. You love that woman
there is no denying it. You want to make her happy you do what you have to do
to keep her that way and to keep her in your life.” Jey stood from his chair
and patted his cousin on the shoulder.
 
Roman watched as his twin cousins left the room He just needed to get through
tonight and tomorrow and then he would go find Antonia; he knew she was
probably stay with Jimmy’s girlfriend Cara; since Rachel lived with Dean in
Vegas and Toni hated the busy city there was no way she would be there.
 
Dean and his cousins were right.
 
Damn it why did they always have to be right?
__________________________________________________________________
 
Antonia was walking around the back with Paul’s phone. She shook her head. He
handed it to her for her to answer when one of his daughters phoned. She loved
his girls and when they came on the road with them normally they were
entertained by Antonia and the rest of the Divas. Once she’d gotten off the
phone she didn’t realize it but Paul had disappeared down the hallway.
 
She stepped down the hallway where the trainer’s room was but still didn’t see
him. As she turned back and headed towards the gorilla position she stopped in
her tracks as Summer Rae stepped up to Roman and their lips connected. An
audible gasp tore from her lips as Paul’s phone slipped out of her fingers and
crashed to the floor.
 
It was like a bad car crash – driving by in slow motion.
 
You couldn’t help but stare…
 
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