Flames

Clash, part 2

"So you've had a good night. . . ," Becky said, still catching her breath as she slid off Seth and snuggled up to his side.

"Definitely this last part, yeah." Seth reached over and pushed some of Becky's hair over her shoulder. She would still be in San Francisco the next day so she could appear on the last SmackDown on USA, but Seth would be heading back to Iowa in the morning. Now that they were engaged, he was finding it tougher and tougher to be apart.

Becky propped her chin up on his chest. "Your Bears won," she pointed out, "and Bray attacked Braun, not you. That seems like a win to me."

"I know." Seth ran a hand up and down her back, hoping to distract her. More sex would be great, but he also needed sleep; he had an early flight in the morning. "I'm just going to miss you tomorrow, that's all."

"I'm sure they could've found something for you to do on SmackDown if you wanted to be there." There was a slight edge to her voice that he couldn't quite interpret.

"I know," Seth repeated, letting his hand drift a bit lower with each stroke. "But I've got stuff to do at Black and Brave, and—"

"SmackDown is important to me, okay?" Becky propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at him, her gaze as fraught as bruises. "I was the first woman drafted to SmackDown. I was the inaugural SmackDown Women's Champion. I wouldn't be where I am without SmackDown."

Seth blinked in confusion. He hadn't insulted SmackDown or questioned Becky's desire to be on the historic episode. "Becks, I know. How many times did I go to SmackDown when we just started dating so I could hang out with you?"

Some of the darkness left her eyes, but her shoulders were still tight. "Sorry. Sometimes it feels like you still buy into that whole 'Raw is the A-show' thing, and it was my home for a long time."

There was no good way to respond to that and Seth knew it. Raw had been the A-show for a long time, but that was no fault of the talent on SmackDown; they couldn't help the way they were booked, and most of them didn't have fortitude of Becky to try and carve out their own path regardless of what Creative gave them. "Becks, I have nothing against SmackDown," he insisted, pulling her closer so he could kiss her. "Well, maybe the shade of blue they chose, but you know I like my darker colours. If that's where we are after the draft, then that's where we are."

"But you'd rather be on Raw." Becky poked him in the ribs. "Aside from an extra hour, no Shane McMahon, and Renee on commentary, what does Raw have? Besides, aren't there more football games on Mondays than Fridays?"

Seth laughed and tried to roll Becky onto her back, hoping to distract her, but she held firm. "I love Raw the way you love SmackDown, I guess. But I love you more."

"You better." Becky's lips twitched in a smile. "And for the record, I'm not dyeing my hair Raw-red again. Eva Marie can keep that look, and keep it far the hell away from me."

Bowing his head, Seth planted a line of kisses down Becky's throat, each a bit rougher and more insistent than the last. It caught her off guard, for starters, and also gave him time to think. Becky had been off SmackDown almost half the year, give or take. They were still living separately, but she was spending more time in Davenport than he was in L.A.; almost all her family was back in Ireland, left behind so she could pursue her wrestling dreams. He could see how she felt she was always giving things up. "Being on the first roster on Fox could be cool," he allowed, nuzzling her collarbone.

"You're just trying to placate me," Becky said softly, running her hands down his back, "or distract me. Or both."

Seth grinned against her chest, listening to how her heart rate was speeding up each time he touched her. "I would never do such a thing."

Becky slid a hand into his curls and tugged just hard enough to make his breath hitch. "You do it all the damn time. You're very distracting."

"Well, if you can't call me your best friend anymore because it upsets Charlotte," Seth reasoned, moving down to her breasts, "I'll need to earn a new title then."

"Nope." Becky shook her head. "Next new title is mine. You still have U2D2. I want to be Becky Two Belts again before the end of the year. Carmella's got the 24/7 belt now; I could go for that."

"As long you know I'm not piggybacking you all over the arena to escape the mob," Seth replied. He placed one last kiss by her navel before pausing. "Do you want me to stop distracting you now?"

Becky squirmed a bit beneath him. "No. We had a good night. Might as well have a good morning too, right?" She pointed to the hotel's bedside clock, which read just after midnight.

Seth grinned up at her. His preference was to stay on Raw, but he would be happy wherever she was. The draft was out of their hands, so there was no point in worrying about it, not when there were so many other concerns on their plates. "What about your afternoon, though? You get to beat up Sasha tonight," he added, sliding a hand between her legs. "But how are you going to keep yourself occupied during the afternoon?"

"Well, Charlotte will be here, so—"

Seth set about distracting her in earnest. Maybe Charlotte had an edge when it came to being Becky's best friend, but he would take Becky's late nights and early mornings over afternoon coffee any day.