A/N: I hope I’m not driving everyone crazy by only updating this story. I’m just on a roll and I’m super into it right now. <3
Seth
After turning off my alarm, I dragged myself out of bed for a shower before it was time for our morning meeting before the show. I checked my phone while the water heated and found a few business emails, a few texts from friends, and the one text I looked forward to everyday. A good morning text from Hazel. She’d usually send a Selfie of her waking up, fresh faced and messy haired in bed with the words Rise and Shine along with a smiley face. Always got me started in a good mood.
Unfortunately, that had been the only text I’d gotten from her all day. I knew she was stressed about her match later and since she’d been sick most of last week, she was probably at the performance area working her ass off. An athlete’s gym time was crucial. All focus was put into preparing for a match, practicing moves and counters. I could just picture her with Beyonce on full blast, completely in the zone as she flew off the ropes over and over again until she got the impact she wanted. Aerials took a lot out of you but that girl’s stamina was on a whole other level.
It was confirmed when Roman, Dean, and I went to the performance area to practice our set and the sound of her grunts could be heard down the hallway from the last room on the left. As badly as I had wanted to go in there and see her, I didn’t want to distract her.
The guys had been sure to call me out for looking like a sad “puppy all day but I had to get my head in the game. We were main eventing and there was no way we’d lose to the Usos again.
“Almost time for your girl to go on.” Roman said, motioning towards the tv as we sat in the locker room getting ready for our own match.
“She’s not my girl yet.” I said, looking up to check what time it was.
“Right. Just like Renee ain’t mine.” Dean laughed, wrapping his wrist.
“Alright alright, can it.” I shook my head, running my hair under the faucet to wet it.
Her entrance music went off as she was announced on stage after Nia. The crowd went so loud you could hear them all the way backstage. They stood and yelled, holding up her signs and waving. She came out on cue wearing combat boots, a tiny black leather skirt with spandex underneath and a low cut leather bra top. Her hair was down straight with cap on.
Walking down to the ring, she waved at her fans and smiling as she threw her hat into the crowd but there was nothing but determination in her eyes.
“Girl knows how to make an entrance.” Shamus said joining us to watch the monster as Hazel stood on the ropes over long the crowd.
I could feel my stomach turning from the anticipation of the match. If played right, she had a real shot at winning. Blow for blow there was no way she could take on Nia. The trick was to not let her catch her. The ropes would be her best shots.
Announcer: And Nia starts off, making a reach for Hazel’s hair. Hazel’s too quick! Using the Nia’s size against her, sweeping her out from her feet. OOH! Standing shooting star press!
Hazel backflipped landing on Nia, knocking the wind out of her. She tried for a count but Nia threwher off, damn near knocking her on the other side of the ring.
“Ohh.” We all winced, watching her land like a ragdoll.
She scurried to get on her feet and ended up in a corner where Nia charged full force with a knee to her cheek , knocking her out.
“Shit.” I mumbled, covering my mouth as more people gathered to watch the tv.
The larger woman lifted Hazel up over her head, her body limp as she tossed her into the turnbuckle again. It was hard to watch. Again she ran full force for a body slam but by the grace of God, Hazel lifted both legs to knick her in the face, knocking her back on her ass.
Barely conscious, she climbed onto the ropes, waiting for Nia to get up on her knees before jumping, performing a curb stomp from the top rope. Instead of immediately going for a count, she hurried up the ropes again to a corkscrew 630 degree senton.
Announcer: 630 degree senton!
The crowd went absolutely insane and so did we. Even in training I’d only seen that move used once because of how difficult it was.
She went down for the count but Nia threw her off again.
“Come on!” Dean shouted, along with a few others in agreement.
I bit my nails, heart racing unable to pull my eyes away from the screen.
Hazel slammed her fist on the ground, standing up for the ropes again but Nia grabbed her leg, dropping her on her face. Making quick work, Nia stood, throwing her over both shoulders and dropping her on her knees for a back breaker. The stadium echoed with Hazel’s scream. Nia smirked trying to do it again but with her flexibility, Hazel maneuvered into a hurricanna, flipping Nia onto the ground and taking her down for the count.
“1…2…”
Announcer: On no! Here comes Charlotte Flair!
“Woah woah woah!” Roman said, pointing to the corner of the screen where Charlotte jumped into the ring,
She kicked Hazel off of Nia with a boot to her temple again before savagely attacking her blow after blow while Haz tried to block it. The official tried to pull of her off only to be thrown out of the ring. The distraction was enough for Hazel to elbow her in the jaw, turning them over so she was on top, delivering the blows.
Unfortunately, after a match with Nia, she had lost energy and Charlotte had no problem overpowering her. With an elbow to the injured side of her face, Charlotte managed to grab a fistful of Hazel’s hair, dragging her across the ring before Nia cloth-lined her over the top rope, helping Hazel stand.
She raised Hazel’s arm in victory as Haz yelled something inaudible at Charlotte, holding her cheek and checking her hand for blood.
A match was a match. These women would give it their all but they were friends also. Nia handed her her title belt and the crowd cheered once more as Charlotte backed up the ramp still talking shit.
What a fucking match.
Hazel
Nia Jax was practically undefeated. I was going to defeat her. I was going to pin her! Then that bitch had to go and fuck everything up!
I was fuming but the doctor wouldn’t let me out without making sure my cheekbone wasn’t broken and that I didn’t have a concussion. He opened one eye, then the other, shining a flashlight in to check my pupils.
The whole time I could hear the Shield’s match on the tv. Seth looked distracted, for lack of a better word. It was him and Roman verses the Usos but he was getting his ass handed to him. His head wasn’t in it.
That was the reason I hadn’t texted him all day. This match was too important. I was to unprepared. I couldn’t afford distractions. Everything with Seth was a distraction. The butterflies. The jokes. The banter. It was great but a match was a match. I’d worked my ass off during it and I would’ve literally won had the bitch not interfered.
Oh I was going to get her back. Twice as bad. The match ended with Seth pinning one of the twins. I wanted to go find and congratulate him but the doctor still wouldn’t clear me without sitting down for a while with an ice pack on my cheek.
“Haz!” Seth’s voice filled the room before he came into view.
The moment his eyes landed on me he closed the distance and wrapped his arms around me pulling me into a suffocating hug.
“Hey! Congrats!” I smiled despite the pain my body was in.
He was still dressed in his ring attire and sweaty from the match, but I didn’t care. The feel of him wrapped around me made it all okay.
“I saw the whole thing. How’s your eye?” he asked, pulling away enough to get a good look at me. “It looked absolutely shattered on the screen.”
I shook my head. “It was my cheekbone.” I said, moving the ice pack from my face. “Nothing’s broken. From what he can see. I’m supposed to get x-rays.”
“Thank god.” He shook his head, tucking me back into his chest, running his fingers through my hair. “I’ll take you, let’s go.”
“There’s no rush.” I laughed, wincing again from the pain. “I’ll go shower and get changed. You do the same.”
“But we need to know if it’s fractured or something.” He tried, his thumb brushing over the purple swollen mess.
“Well unless I get my face smashed into a wall on my way to the showers, it can wait.” I smiled, running my nails over his facial hair before pulling him closer for a kiss.
“I’m not going to win this am I?” He laughed into the kiss.
“Nope. Better get used to that.” I laughed, hoping off the exam table.
“It’s something I could live with.” He smiled, throwing his arm over my shoulder as we walked down the hallway.
Running into Roman and Dean, they both made a face along with a pained groan when they saw me. Roman pulled me in for a hug while Dean gave me a fist bump.
“Respect, kiddo.” Dean said.
Roman nodded in agreement. “You definitely showed your worth out there.”
“Yeah, too bad I didn’t get the count. I swear I’ll break every bone in that bedazzled bitch’s body.” I said with promise as anger boiled up in me again.
“Charlotte doesn’t play fair.” Seth said, holding me close. “Her dad never did.”
“Yeah, well fighting dirty is something I learned from the best. If that’s the game she wants to play then it’s on.”
—
After showering, I threw on another band t-shirt, dark skinny jeans, vans, and Seth’s hoodie that I’d taken from him last week.
After the makeup came off, the bruising looked worse than it had. It was already purple, red in the middle, and a blue outline.
“Real cute.” I groaned, throwing the hood over my head.
I packed the rest of my gear and my title belt into my bag before meeting Seth out in the hallway. I’d come to realize that we were practically the same person. We had the same taste in music, the same movies, food – we even dressed the same.
Almost identical to my outfit, Seth had on a band t-shirt, dark skinny jeans, black sneakers, and a hoodie. The only difference in our outfits was the fact that my shirt was cropped and he had on a backwards hat.
“Seriously?” I laughed, pointing out our outfits.
He laughed when he looked at me, nodding his head in approval. “Okay so that’s the type of couple we’re going to be?” He said as he grabbed my bag for me, holding it with his own so he could throw his arm around my shoulder.
“Oh so we’re going to be a couple? Is that what’s been decided?” I chuckled, throwing my arm around his waist as we exited the building through the back into the parking lot.
“That has in fact been decided, yeah.” He smiled, looking down at me. “I mean, you can choose to agree to it or not, but as of this moment moving forward, in my mind you are my girl.”
I shook my head with a laugh. He was too adorable. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want it.
“It’s something I could live with.” I smiled, repeating his earlier phrase.
“Well that was a lot easier than it had played out in my head.” He admitted, tossing our bags in the trunk of my rental before the two of us got in.
“How’d it play out in your head?” I asked, leaning back in the seat.
The bluetooth connected to my phone and Metallica started playing but I pulled out my phone to change it to my country playlist.
“Seriously?” He raised a brow. “Country?”
“Shut up, it helps me wind down after an event.” I laughed. “Back to the point. How did this go in your head?”
“Lots of different ways.” He said matter of factly, setting the GPS on his phone before he drove us off of the lot and onto the road. “First I thought you’d laugh in my face. Then the possibility that I might catch your right hook came to mind. Then the fact that I might lose your friendship…”
“None of those scenarios involved me saying okay?” I chuckled, looking over at him.
“Nope but I had to give it a shot.” He laughed.
“Well I’m glad you did.” I smiled, lacing our fingers together.
He looked down at our hands for a minute, a warm smile on his face before returning his eyes to the road. “But seriously…Country music? You literally have the most diverse taste I’ve ever heard.”
“Just listen to it!” I returned with a smile before singing loudly and obnoxiously. “Ooo! What I wouldn’t dooo, to write my name on your heart, get you wrapped in my arms baby all around youuu! And it goes like heyyyy, Seth I’m blown awayy. Yeah it starts with a smile and it ends with an all night long slow kisss, yeah it goes like thiss.”
I leaned in closer, pressing kisses against his cheek and down his neck making him laugh.
“Okay okay, that’s pretty fucking cute.” He admitted.
“Told you.” I smiled, getting out of the car after he parked.
We walked inside and immediately we got a few looks of recognition but at that time of night, there was only two or three people in the waiting room. I walked to the front, checking in before we were ushered to the back where a technician was available to perform the x-ray right away. Seth wasn’t allowed in the x-ray room with me but he was right outside when I got out and came with me into the exam room to wait for results.
“How’s it feel?” He asked, standing between my legs with his hands cupping my neck. His eyes wandered over my face as if it was the first time he really got to look at it.
I shrugged my shoulders, hooking my thumb into the belt loops of his pants to hold him close. “Like my eye might pop out of it’s socket from all the pressure.”
“Doesn’t sound too fun.” He smiled.
The door opened and a doctor walked in with results. He smiled at us before putting them up on the computer screen for us to look at.
“Well aside from the swelling, everything looks to be in place. The match was on during my break believe it or not.” He laughed, “I got to see the whole thing. You’re very lucky.”
I nodded my head, offering a smile. “So I’ve heard.”