#i love the o'connels so much in general they have a special spot in my heart

[nicolewoo]

Meeting Joe

Pairing Joe Anoai X Reader.

Warnings: none. This is pretty darn fluffy.

I had just gotten to the arena when I spotted red hair down the hall a bit. I slipped behind Becky and tapped her shoulder lightly. With a start, she stopped her conversation with Colby and turned around to see me standing there. She immediately screamed in delight and we fell into a great big bear hug.

“Bloody hell! What are you doin' here?” Becks asked as she pulled back to look at me.

I grinned from ear to ear. “I got called up.”

The news sent Becky into another bear hug as she said, “Why didn't you tell me?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise.” I pulled away from the hug and smiled at her.

She placed her hands on my arms and looked me over. “Never had a better surprise!” She smiled. Our glee was interrupted by Colby clearing his throat. A look of slight panic ran over her face as she realized what she'd said, “I mean, except for the day you proposed,” she said to him as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “Colby, t'is is Y/N. My very best friend from mah indie wrestlin' days. Y/N meet my fiance Colby.”

I was totally fangirling inside, but I managed to keep my calm as I shook his hand. “Oh, you're THAT Y/N?” he quirked an eyebrow at Becky. “I've heard all about you,” he smiled back at me.

“Whatever she told you,” I paused for effect. “It's probably true.” At that Becky and I both bust out laughing.

“Come on. Come on. We've gotta catch up.” Becks said grabbing my suitcase and heading down the hall with me in tow. “We can share my dressing room tonight.” She was walking so quickly down the hall that she didn't realize the puzzled look Colby shot her as he stopped dead in his tracks.

“Um, Becks.” I called to her from a few steps behind her. “I think we broke him.” I said turning back to Colby.

She turned to see the look on her fiance's face before realizing what she'd said. “Oh, Yeah. Sorry babe,” she reached out to grab his hand when he came closer to her. “Um, Y/N. We share a dressing room.” She pointed between she and Colby. “I got so excited, I forgot. Is it ok to use the general dressing room?” She asked.

“Actually,” I said as we continued down the hall, “I don't want to be treated special because I know you. I deserve to be in the general dressing room.”

Becky linked her arm in mine. “You're right, of course. You always are.” A look of incredulity crossed Colby's face.

“I've never heard her say those words before.” He said in mock wonder, which caused me to laugh.

“Really?” I quirked an eyebrow at him. “Because Becks used to tell me I was right all the time. Of course,” I looked at Becky and we both smiled before saying in unison. “I'm always right.” We both laughed at that.

“You two are gonna be trouble, aren't you?” Colby sighed out.

Becks went to him and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Of course we are darlin'. So just smile and go with the flow.” Again, we both laughed heartily at ourselves.

Becky got me settled into the locker room, making sure to introduce me to some of the other girls, so I could make friends. Being the new girl in a locker room is always an unnerving experience. Yes, the rest of the talent tried to be warm and welcoming, but there was always an underlying feeling of wondering if I was going to take their place. I was kind of used to it by now. I'd been the new girl in 4 companies. After the first few days, everyone always warmed up to me. One of the tricks I'd learned to ease the tension was to get to hair and makeup before anyone else. Most of the girls preferred to have their hair and makeup done just before going on stage, so they could look fresh. Since my hair was straight, and I wore only one braid in my hair so I didn't care when it got done. My hair would hold up for hours. As long as I didn't mess up my makeup, I was good.

Becky and I had agreed to meet in the mess hall at 5 pm. I felt a bit deflated when I realized I arrived before her. In fact, I was sitting alone at 5:05 when Dana Brooke approached me and invited me to join her table.  

Becky and Colby came in shortly after, with Joe Anoai tagging behind. Once they'd gathered their food, they joined us. “Joe, this is my good friend Y/N.” Becks began. When I looked up to greet him and our hands touched to shake, my eyes locked on his, and my heart stopped. Literally stopped for a beat. I thought that kind of thing only happened in cheesy romance novels, but apparently, my heart thought this was a cheesy romance novel, because it really did skip a beat.

“My pleasure,” His voice was low and raspy, and for a second I thought I could feel it inside me.

I tried to keep my wits about me as I shook back, “The honor is mine.” Should I stand up? Should I stay seated? I thought of a million things to say to him. I'm a big fan. I prayed for you when you were sick. Can I please give you a lap dance? Just take me now! I was just shaking off my immediate thoughts when he smiled down at me, which made me almost swoon. Thankfully, they all sat down, Becky on one side of me and Dana on the other. Joe sat across from Seth on the other side of Becky.

There were a lot of the normal first day questions. Where have you been wrestling? Who trained you? Everyone wanted to know about me, some out of kindness, others to see if I was a threat. Becky was happy to start rattling off my accomplishments, but I stopped her by changing the subject quickly. “Becks, what was the name of that song we used to sing all the time?”

I saw her face change, as she processed what I was doing. “Oh Yeah... I would walk 500 miles...” she trailed off.

I pretended that I didn't know and she'd just reminded me. “Yeah! That's the one. Remember singing it at O'Connell's Pub?”

“I LOVE that song,” Nikki Cross interrupted and started bouncing in her chair as she sang out the chorus. That got everyone at the table involved. Then the next table over chimed in, and soon the two tables were singing lines of the chorus back and forth.

My plan had worked. I grabbed my phone quickly and text Becky, “Hey, let's not talk about my accomplishments. I don't want anyone to think I'm bragging.”

I waited a second as she text back. “You're not bragging. I'm bragging for you!”

I sighed as I read her response. “Just, please, let's drop it.” I sent the message and waited for her to nod in response. Dinner was outright fun after that. There were lots of tales told and laughter shared among the two tables. A few times, when Joe was talking, I got to stare right at him, but when he wasn't talking, and he was pretty quiet tonight, I stole a few glances at him. A couple of times when I stole a look, I found he was already looking at me.

After dinner, I returned to the locker room with a few new friends in tow. I was so happy to be accepted so easily. Being friends with The Man was a good thing. As I stretched out, my mind wandered back to dinner. Well, not dinner so much as Joe. Was he trying to steal glances at me? Was he as affected by our touch as I was? Was that why his voice was so low when he greeted me?

I shook off the feelings. I shook off my suspicious. After all, I was here to work, not to hook up. This was the biggest opportunity in my life. I had to stay focused. I tried to think of Joe as a friend. I tried.

After wrestling, showering and changing into my street clothes, I headed to the common area where everyone was watching the show. I found Joe sitting by himself in the back. Immediately, I tried to calm the feelings that were rising up inside of me. I'd have to sit in front of him to keep myself from staring at him, because quite frankly, he was beautiful and I wasn't sure I could NOT look at him. I headed for a seat by Nikki when he beckoned me to sit by him.

“Hey,” He said as I sat beside him. “Did you get all settled in?” He asked sweetly.

“Yes,” I nervously brushed some of my hair behind my ear, and instantly regretted it, because I knew I looked stupid with my hair brushed behind my ear. How could I fix it without looking like the nervous Nelly that I was? Shit. There was nothing I could do now except hope I could get it to fall down again. .

As my mind went into a spiraling mess of nervousness and lust, he asked, “Is everyone being nice to you?”

The sincerity of his voice touched me. He really cared about it. “Yes. I didn't have any troubles.” I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

“Listen, Colby, Becks and I were talking. We've got a free seat in our car if you want to ride with us after the show.” As soon as he said it, he looked like he wished he hadn't.

“Um, you don't have to do that. I'm sure I could catch a ride with someone else.” I looked down at my feet.

“No. You should ride with us.” He seemed so calm about it. He didn't seem to be nervous like me. Of course he's not. I thought to myself. He's just being nice. He's not attracted to you. My mind reeled off a dozen negative thoughts Well shit. I had to ride with him now or it would look suspicious.

“I guess if you don't mind.” I paused as he smiled at me. “Thanks.” I said shyly and focused my eyes on the TV. Colby was just starting a match, and Joe's face changed. He was glued to the TV watching the match intently so I did the same.

“Wow. Did he land wrong?” I asked when Colby went down at an awkward angle.

Joe leaned closer to talk over the din of the room, “Nah. He's fine. Watch... he'll start forgetting to limp on that leg.” I watched and sure enough, after a bit of time, Colby forgot to limp.

“You called it.” I said, laughing.

Joe laughed back, “He always does that.” He looked down and shook his head in disappointment.

“I'd hate to hear what you say about my wrestling.” I teased.

“Nothing.” He looked at me, so I turned to face him.

“Um. What?” I asked.

Joe started fidgeting with his hair. Is he nervous? Of course not. One of the best wrestlers in the business is about to give you tips. Listen to him and get your head out of the gutter. “I've seen a few of your matches. You do an awesome job. Better than some of the most popular wrestlers.” He said it so matter-of-fact that I ignored the desire to ask what he meant. I simply looked back at the tv and thanked him.

After the match, Joe said, “I'm gonna go finish packing. Meet you here at 10:30?” He quirked an eyebrow at me which made breathing difficult for me. You need to get over this NOW. You're not going to be able to avoid him, so you need to bottle up these feelings. As the new resolve rushed through me, I agreed to the meeting time and went back to the locker room to gather my things.

“There she is,” Colby said as I entered the room.

I looked at Becks, Colby and Joe. “Am I late?”

Joe smiled as he walked up beside me and placed his hand on the small of my back leading me out to the hallway. “Not at all.” He said as Becky and Colby followed us. I expected once we were headed the right direction, Joe would remove his hand, but he didn't. Don't read anything into it. Everyone in the WWE was touchy/feely. He's just being nice.

“Shotgun!” Colby yelled as he went to the passenger side door.

“I figured you guys would want to nap in the back.” Becky said.

Colby climbed in the front seat, “Nah, it's only a 2 hour drive. I can make it.” He told Becky.

As I climbed into the back seat next to Joe, I sighed. God, if you're trying to be funny, please stop. I can only be tempted so far. We settled in for the drive. Becky and I were talking about old times, basically shutting the guys out of the conversation. We were only about 30 minutes into the drive when I noticed Joe starting to nod off next to me. He looked pretty silly too. His head was falling back, his mouth was open, his eyes closed. I tapped Colby on the shoulder and pointed out Joe.  “Yeah, he's a lightweight. Always falls asleep in the car after shows.” He chuckled.

Becky and Colby started talking, and I looked out the window at the passing farmland while I listened to the sound of Joe's breathing. Now, in the near silence with nobody talking to me, I began to feel tired too. I removed my jacket and balled it up to use as a pillow. I leaned it against the seat and curled up for a nap myself.

“Y/N” I heard a beautiful low voice say my name. I sighed. “Time to get up. We're here.” I knew that voice, It was Joe. I opened my eyes to realize I had my head in his lap. My jacket was spread over me like a blanket, and Joe was stroking my hair.

“What?” I said in a panic.

“We're here.” He smile down at me.

“But....” I sat up and stretched my arms out. “How did I end up in your lap?” Should I apologize?

Joe smiled kindly at me, “You started falling over, so I led you to lay down, and I put your jacket over you to keep you warm.”

“I'm sorry?” I half said/half asked.

He just chuckled, “No worries.” He smiled as he got out of the car.

#Joe Anoai X Reader Joe Anoai Roman Reigns X Reader Roman Reigns

[breitzbachbea]

for my children::: soph

oUR DAUGHTERFull Name: Sophie O’ConnelGender and Sexuality: Female and bisexualPronouns: She/Her/HersEthnicity/Species: IrishBirthplace and Birthdate: She was born on the 6th of September 1996 in Dublin. Guilty Pleasures: I think she has a lot of guilty pleasures, though most of them are rather old family rituals she can’t let go, e.g. decorating the house appropriate for the season. It’s more of a guilty pleasure than a coping mechanism because it doesn’t feel right to herself yet she still does it. Phobias: She’s terrible afraid of losing what’s left of her family. She’s afraid she’ll be stuck forever in a more or less depressed phase. And she’s afraid she won’t find a place for herself in this world. She’s afraid there is no place for her in it. What They Would Be Famous For: 120 Sheeps From Five Different Countys Went Missing In One Week, Still No Hint Towards The OffenderWhat They Would Get Arrested For: Girl Arrested After Trying To Book An Entire Flight To New Zealand, Then Showing Up With 120 Sheep At The AirportOC You Ship Them With: Not an OC but a canon character (please don’t hit me). I really like her with APH New Zealand/Benjamin Walker how me and my friend dubbed him as human. It started out as a silly idea based on Soph being a sheep maniac as a defining trait back when I created her and … it kind of stuck through all the character development. Plus, now in the Mafia AU I have to care less for actual relations between the nations, so I can crackship as much as I waaaant as long as it is plausible in THIS universe. Suck iiiiiit. I also like to imagine her and her friend Maeve as a couple, too, though. I don’t know if it would last, but it’d be a lovely short, dorky romance OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Harry because Soph ate the last fish sticks they hadI don’t think no one is really keen on murdering her. Yet. Favorite Movie/Book Genre: I think she’s a big fan of high and urban fantasy like her brother, but also likes scifi and adventure stories. As well as animal centered stories and crime novels - She likes something thrilling as long as it isn’t too complicated and responds to one of her interests. Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: I think Soph dislikes a lot of gender related stereotypes. She grew up with men all around her and only a few women and yet the diversity of those man and the strong female rolemodels such as Hannah and Gwen in her family, show her what kind of bullshit traditional gender roles are. Machos without any redeeming emotional features are a no-go for her. Talents and/or Powers: She’s very good with animals, helpful to other people and hardworking once she’s fired up for a goal. She’s also very creative when it comes to find alternative solutions for something. Especially later on, she’s also extremely tough, no matter the circumstances. Why Someone Might Love Them: Her big wide grin is so full of life and her booming laughter can make everyone forget their worries temporarily. When she loves someone, she loves them unconditionally. She’s going to take you with your fuck ups and your weirdness because she’s fucked up and weird herself. She’s a practical girl that roles up her sleeves and wrestles with sheep to sheer them, who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and if that isn’t an incredibly admireable thing, I don’t know. She’s got a brilliant sense of humour as well, even when it’s self-depreciating. If getting fifty blurry pictures of animals she’s seen a day isn’t adorable, I don’t know what is. Why Someone Might Hate Them: She’s still insecure and depressed as hell and needs as much of a shoulder to lean on as she can provide one. She’s a loud person and stubborn as well; while considerate of others, she can be very defensive about her opinions. Just like her brother, she can act very thoughtlessly and thus get herself or others into trouble as well as hurting others. How They Change: I think Soph is the character who changes the most throughout the story or at least she’s the one where it is most visible. Soph starts out as insecure teenage girl, who has a vague plan about what she wants to do in live, but struggles to get there on her own. She’s emotionally dependent on her family and the worries she has regarding her boys consume her daily life, making it very easy for her to slip into depressions and have emotional breakdowns that leave her nerves weak for a very long time. She lacks self-esteem and long-term motivation. Over the course of the series she learns how stand up for herself and chase her own goals instead of waiting for someone who can give them to her instead. She becomes more independent - emotionally as well as in general - and learns to accept herself more, to love herself. Soph goes from a teenager without a plan to young woman who knows what she wants and how she’ll get it. Why You Love Them:I always called Soph a little piece of YA in an otherwise adult story - and I think that is a quite important thing. I love Soph because she’s so young and yet carries as much baggage as the older characters of the series - even when it manifests in more mundane ways. And she pulls through - she doesn’t become closed off and jaded, scared of the world, but instead accepts help and tackles her problems. She’s so broken and yet she decides to go through the effort of fixing herself thoroughly. Though just putting duct tape on it is how she fixes most other things that are broken. She breaks down, she cries, she is frustrated and yet, she keeps going. She keeps going because she wants to see and get what the world offers to her, she wants to live the life ahead of her. She’s so strong if you look closer and I love her for it.

#come-home-holy-rome #soph is my baby giiiiirl #i love the o'connels so much in general they have a special spot in my heart #anyone out there who was/is a teenager and deals with mental illnesses knows how hard that shit is #and yet she fights to not become like her brother. not like all the others. #she fights to learn her lesson now #not to sit in front of ruins to rebuild in a few years #she hurts so much to heal #storie nostre #soph