Flames

Full Circle, part 2

"This sucks." Seth tipped his head back against the couch and turned a bit so Becky could get comfortable. Having her left arm in a sling meant that regular, everyday activities that she used to do without a second thought now required finesse and strategizing. "First time in thirty years there's a pay-per-view so close to Ireland and you're not on it."

"I know. But neither are Doudrop and Nikki," Becky pointed out, "and they can actually wrestle right now. I know they'll be on Worlds Collide, but that's not the same."

Seth kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer. It was such a typical Becky answer: even when she was in pain and disappointed, she still focussed on her friends. "At least you can still visit your mom and brother. Plus I'll get to travel with my girls again."

Becky laughed. "I never thought I'd say I miss being on the bus, but here we are." She and Roux still travelled with Seth occasionally, but since Becky needed to focus on her rehab, she was spending more time in Los Angeles so Joshy could help with her workouts. "Even Roux misses it. I always worried that she should be... you know, spending more time in a proper home, but now when we go for walks and she sees a bus, she wants to run to it."

"That... could be a problem. A future problem," Seth added quickly. It was something they had both wondered about, but Becky's recovery was far more pressing at the moment. The time would come when they wouldn't take Roux on the road anymore, whether it was because of schooling or because one—or both—of them had decided to retire. "We've got enough on our plates now."

He figured Becky would simply nod or agree and the conversation would move on, but she looked strangely pensive. "Riddle shouldn't be on yours," she said at last.

"Creative needed something for him while Randy's out." He tucked some hair behind his wife's ear before leaning back to examine her expression. Something was clearly bothering her, but he wasn't sure what or why. "And they knew they could draw on that bullshit between him and me back from 2020...."

Becky sighed and shook her head. "Except it wasn't. It wasn't between you and him. His wife said something about me. It had nothing to do with either of you."

Seth sat up slowly, careful not to jar Becky's shoulder. "What do you mean? You're my wife. Of course it's—"

"No." Her voice was soft but firm, and Seth had learned teh hard way that this particular tone meant business. "His wife," she emphasized, "said something about me. He didn't say something about me. She didn't say anything about you. He didn't say anything about you. If anyone had reason to be upset, it was me."

It felt like a technicality to Seth, but he still took a moment to reflect. Strictly speaking, Becky was right, but he couldn't imagine not coming to her defence—not when she was just a friend, not when they were dating, and certainly not now that they were married. "I get that," he said slowly, "but—"

"Do you?" The interruption, gentle as it was, still startled him. When they were having serious conversations, they both did their best to make sure they each had their turn to speak and they tried not to talk over each other. "Because this is something that we both knew could happen, and that was one of the reasons we considered not dating, remember? People will take a shot at me to get to you or say something about you to get under my skin—and now that we have Roux, they'll bring her up too. If you get all fired up the instant someone mentions me, that's going to be the first thing they try."

"I don't." There was a distinction to be made and Seth was struggling to find it, Before Royal Rumble, Roman's comment about Seth not being the biggest star in his own house hadn't bothered him, though of course he had to act like it did in the ring; in reality, he had been struggling not to laugh because it was true and he would be the first to admit it. If people paid attention to the interviews he did, they would know he was more than happy to sing Becky's praises all day long.

"You do," Becky countered, kissing his cheek, "and I know you mean it in the best way, but I can fight my own battles. Lisa should have apologized to me. You and Matt should never have been involved in the first place."

Seth's first instinct was to protest. So was his second and third. He had to stay quiet for a long minute to stifle the urge to argue, and in a way, he knew Becky was right. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, and if he started getting defensive every time someone said something derogatory about her, it would only hurt Becky's credibility in the end. "I get it," he said at last, reluctance pulling at each word like taffy, "but it's just... it's hard. I was always taught that you stand up for the people you love."

Becky's soft smile at least let him know he was on the right track. "I know, and I love that about you, but when it comes to our business...." Sighing, she cuddled closer. Since his mom had taken Roux to give them a chance to plan their upcoming travel in relative peace, the house seemed almost eerily quiet. "Not everything has to be a fight. Not everything has to be called out. Some things can be dealt with in private. Maybe it'll lead to rumours and speculation and all that bullshit, but especially now that we have Roux, we have to pick our battles."

She's right. I know she's right. It made Seth think back to an interview he had done relatively early in their relationship, or at least before he had proposed. He had mentioned how good Becky was at dealing with people and how it was a skill he admired; even years before they had started dating, he wished he had her people skills. Since they'd gotten together, some of her patience had rubbed off on him, but clearly not enough. "I know." Backing down and stepping aside could be a huge struggle for him, but he knew it was something he had to work on. "I should have talked with you about it."

"I get it," Becky said softly, kissing his neck and letting her lips linger there for a moment. "I really do. Even before we were dating, there would be times when I'd hear things about you—or Finn, Kevin, Sasha, any of my closest friends—and it was hard not to jump to their defence. But sometimes it just makes things that much worse."

Seth was still thinking of all the things he would have to be more mindful of when the most important one of all dawned on him. "Shit. When Roux's in school, she's going to hear all sorts of things about us—about me—from kids in her class...." His naked photos were still online, easy enough to find with a few choice keywords. So many of his bad decisions and thoughtless words were immortalized forever online, and he had no doubt that there would be cruel kids who would use them against Roux.

Becky nodded grimly. "I'm not saying that we can't ever step in. There will be times when we have to. But we also have to give her the space to learn to deal with the teasing herself too. We're not always going to be there."

"And it's something she'll have to learn to deal with anyway." Seth shut his eyes. "As if the idea of having a teenage daughter wasn't terrifying enough."

"Hey!" Becky poked him in the stomach. "She could end up being a perfect, studious angel—"

"Like you were?" Seth laughed. When Becky tried protesting, he kissed her. "I've talked with your parents and your brother, remember? And Finn, for that matter."

"Traitors," Becky muttered, fighting a grin. "Whatever happened to Irish solidarity?" Then she narrowed her eyes, but the blush creeping up her cheeks softened the intensity of her glare. "Just how much did Finn tell you?"

Seth just smiled. "I can't say. Irish solidarity and all."