"What if I'm not ready?" he laid his head in his hands. "What if I'm not okay? What if I never get okay? I just, I can't risk it." he had done this for weeks.
"Hey, hey, hey." I dropped to my knees in front of him. "Its been six months. I would be nervous too. But you know what?" I picked his head up, making his beautiful eyes look into mine. "You're the best there has ever been. I promise. No one can stop you if you just think about it Finn, feel it. I know you can." he closed his eyes and smiled softly.
"Thank you, baby." he kissed me, calm and slow.
"I'll be here every step of the way, just like I have been."
"I love you so so much." he ran his hand across my cheek.
"I love you so much more." I nuzzled against him. "Now let's go, come on!" I pulled him up and we jumped in place for a minute, taking in the adrenaline of the situation. "Ready?" I bounced a little higher.
"Born ready, lass." he winked and jumped even with me.
"Are you sure?" I pushed against his shoulder playfully.
"I'm 100 percent, perfect. Best there's ever been." he pretended to punch my face.
"You sure? That was weak?" I laughed and hit him with a left hook, right uppercut. Our play fights had become prematch ritual.
"I'll show you weak." he picked me up over his shoulder, spinning me around.
"FINN!" I laughed until he threw me down.
"Bálor, let's go." triple h's booming voice said. "You too, kid, c'mon." we looked at each other and ran, straight through the curtain, a full sprint down the ramp. We were halfway down before the music ever fully hit. We slid in the ring, crawling, waiting, lurking. Both Lana and Rusev stood in the corners...not backing down. Finn nodded at me and we went to doing what we do best. Finn was throwing punches and I instantly went for my kicks. As Lana rushed towards me, my roundhouse kick met her face. Finn smirked at me and I picked Lana up. We sent each of our respected enemies into the ropes, hitting sling blades when they came back.
The crowd went crazy. From backstage, you heard Hunter get a mic and into it say "The future. Is. Now." the whole arena going crazy for what we had just did. I walked to pick up Rusev's title, holding it to Finn's waist.
"I think it looks good, aye lass?" he smiled down at me.
"How's the shoulder?"
"I'm fine dearest."
"Then that title looks dayum good." I joked and he laughed, taking the title from my hand and holding it high above his head while pulling me by my waist to him. Rusev groaned from the barricade as Lana rushed to his side.
Someone tossed Finn a mic. "Rusev, let's go. I'm back. And this..this is mine. I'll see you next week, lad. Oh suvivor series? I'll see ya there too, mate." Finn smiled his signature smirk and we slid out of the ring, back to the back with Trips. "So?" Finn turned to him.
"Never fail to impress, man." they shook hands and we went to see our friends.
The next three weeks were hell. The Raw following Finn's return entailed a mixed rag match where we swore Finn has tore his shoulder again.
He laid there in agonizing pain, squeezing my hand as right as I could stand. "Shhh, it's okay, it's okay." He screamed as the trainer rolled his shoulder back.
"Finn, you're okay. Its the first time you've really exerted yourself since coming back, that match was hell. All these matches are going to be. These aren't easy things to do. We'll wrap you up with some ice, change it to a heating pad in about two hours." He nodded at me and left to get the ice.
"I knew I wasn't ready, damn it." he hit the table beneath him.
"No, you are. You were, we just have to get your body used to all of this again. You've been through so much worse. You're the best there's ever been." I kissed him, running my fingers through his hair."
A week after that, I had triggered an old injury and had to rock a knee brace. The following week saw in interview turned into hell. On the preshow while giving a promo, Finn met a chair to the back of the head and some slurred Russian words. Triple H ran from across the room, dropping to Finn's said with me. "Get me a damn trainer!" He yelled. Finn had a concussion. He wasn't cleared to compete for the next 10 days. The match was scheduled for six from now...we're out.
"See, you Americans, you're so weak. But at least you're not as weak as the Irish." Rusev laughed and Lana swooned over it.
"I hate that guy." Finn laid his head on my shoulder backstage. I was taping my wrist, getting ready for Auska.
"And he thinks that two dollar street roamer he has can stand next to my queen," that was all Finn needed to hear to take off running from the back. I followed quick behind, but Finn had always been faster.
Cass caught me before I followed "hell no, he gets this one." I watched as Finn slid into the ring,throwing punches I hadn't seen him throw in so long, with fiercity I had never seen.
Refs & talent swarmed the ring, pulling Finn from Rusev. When they were finally separated, Finn was doing everything he could to escape Roman's grip or to slip past Big E. Rusev laid in the corner with his nose bleeding. "Say one more God dammnee thing about my girl and See what happens." he yelled. Staff took Rusev from the ring, Finn stood there with all of his friends. Still mad as hell, he came back to me.
"Finn." I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Princess." he squeezed me tight. "I promised I would never let anyone hurt you in anyway, and I meant it." He kissed me.
The weeks that followed where intense. It was a constant back and forth. In the end of it all, Lana and I were both banned from ringside for a no disqualification match.
"What are you?"
"The best there's ever been." he smiled at me as we jumped and play fought.
"What are you?" I ruffled his hair, and jumped faster.
"The new United States champion."
"Mkay, come here. Lets fix your paint before you go out." I filled in black over his perfectly sculpted arms, white over his perfect shoulders, red trailing down to the small of his back. "Find it, dig way down deep, channel it, breathe, my king becomes the demon king, defend your queen and the empire you've started, Finn. Its time." when he opened his eyes again, I saw fire and fight. He was ready for what laid ahead. "Wait!" he turned to look at me. "I love you."
"I love you, angel." He smiled and walked out to do his thing. I ran to closest monitor and watched as he crawled to the ring, captivating the whole crowd. I sang along to the rhythm of his music.
"Hi." Lana came and stood next to me. "You know, I don't hate you, I don't even dislike you. Just because they don't like each other doesn't mean we can't sit here and support the men who we love." I smiled and told her I guess she was right.
45 gruesome, intense, heartbreaking minutes passed, Finn was hurt. Time was running out. We were already 20 minutes past our running time.
Rusev locked in the accolade. Locking all that pressure on my baby's back. But somehow Finn escaped. He pushed back and up with his feet, kicking Rusev. Finally Finn crawled to the corner and Rusev laid recovering. Finn realize the opportunity he had. He realized sling blade was .2 seconds away. And he hit it, beautifully. 1.......2.........3...the gap between 2 & 3 had felt huge. I stood, racing to the ring at a full sprint.
I slid next to him. "Hey, hey, hey. Are you okay?" He groaned in pain. "Shhhh. You're okay. Its gunna be okay. TRAINER." I yelled and they came running from the back.
"I love you." he smiled weakly.
"I love you most." I kissed his forehead. The first trainer in the ring helped Finn sit up and then brought Finn to his knees. I stayed in the corner, out of the way. I prayed it wasn't as bad as before. Finn came over to me, dropped down on one knee and took a ring from the trainer.
"Baby, angel, love, will you marry me?" is he srrious, is this really happening, this can't be happening, oh my god.
"Serious?" I asked. Finn laughed and nodded.
"C'mon, lass. What do you say?" he smiled up at me.
"Yes, a million and million times yes, oh my god, Finn." He stood, limping on his left ankle, and slipped the beautiful ring on my finger.
"I couldn't do what I do without you, I want you by my side forever." he kissed me and we celebrated our engagement with the people we loved most.
