Flames

Cages, part 2

Closed doors could be an ominous thing in wrestling, hiding shady deals and dirty secrets. In WWE, it usually meant a surprise return—or at least a return they were trying to keep as quiet as possible—which made Seth think of Randy, but that made no sense. They advertised him, though. He asked around about Randy, but hadn't received any clear answers; even Cody seemed unsure.

"Don't worry about it," Becky advised, squeezing him tight enough that it almost made his back twinge. It also made him stop looking down the corridor, so he supposed she had achieved her goal. "Just concentrate on your match. Isn't that what you always tell me?"

"Don't quote my advice back at me," Seth grumbled. "Roux's already started doing that. I thought I had a few years yet before she started mocking me."

"She's not mocking you." Becky patted his chest and rested her head against his shoulder. "She's showing you that she's listening and paying attention. That's a good thing." Then she laughed. "Plus she's adorable, so she'd get away with mocking you if she was."

Seth kissed the top of Becky's head and shut his eyes, slowing down his breathing. "You're adorable too," he pointed out. "And you get away with so much...."

"Do I, though?" Becky's eyes were shining as she said it, but there was a hint of something in her voice Seth couldn't quite place. Before he could ask her about it, though, she was cuddling up to him, running her knuckles along his spine.

"I could start a list," he murmured into her hair, "but you told me I had to behave backstage and be a good example for Roux."

Becky's chuckle helped dispel some of his nerves. "Well, Roux's busy talking Auntie Bayley's ear off, so I could probably let you bend the rules a little bit. I won't tell if you don't."

Before he had a chance to start reciting his list, Seth caught a hint of movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Cody approaching. "Hey." Becky started to step back, but he kept her close. As long as she was there, he would be able to keep his temper in check. Pointing down the corridor, he asked, "Is that Randy?"

Cody shook his head. "Nope." Holding up his phone, he added, "He is coming, I swear, but that's not him. He's not here yet. Transportation issues."

Seth shut his eyes and started to swear until Becky squeezed his arm. ""For real or...." He shook his head and huffed out a long, ragged breath. "He's actually going to be here, though, right? This isn't some storyline bullshit?"

Cody held up his hands in surrender, and seeing a picture of Liberty as his lock screen photo made Seth's frustration fade away a bit. He remembered having tons of pictures of Becky and Roux on his phone when he'd returned from paternity leave—he shad most of them there still—and looking at pictures of his wife and daughter still helped put everything else into perspective. "I swear he's supposed to be here. I was talking to him before he got on his plane."

"Your match is last," Becky pointed out softly. "There's plenty of time. You know Hunter likes his drama, so he'll probably work it into the story."

Shooting Becky a grateful look, Cody nodded. "Everything's going to be fine. Randy's not trying to screw anyone over. As far as I know, plans haven't changed." He paused then, curling his fingers around his phone. "But I'll send him another message, see if I can get an ETA."

"Thanks." When Becky gave him a subtle nudge, Seth added, "It's not your fault. I know that. I just want the match to go well." He kissed Becky's head and chuckled. "We're gonna have big shoes to fill after the Women's War Games match, you know?"

Cody grinned. "Do I need to hide all the garbage cans from Iyo? I'll work on that after I call Randy...." With a nod, he turned and headed down the hall with the closed door, but it didn't seem to draw his attention like it did for Seth.