Flames

"Stupid Feelings", part 1

"Poetic use of a forklift. I approve." Becky was waiting for him as soon as he left the staging area, so Seth had no chance to try hiding all his cuts and bumps. "We should petition to bring back the Slammys. You'd be a shoo-in for the Best Use of Warehouse Equipment award for sure."

"Thanks." Seth was exhausted, but he still managed to keep his footing as he bent down to kiss her. "I caught that gesture to Kairi. You gunning for Best Use of Sign Language in a Match, then?"

Instead of answering, Becky turned him around and examined his back. Her touch was gentle enough, but Seth couldn't help but flinch when she reached some of the more painful spots. "I noticed my new shirt on that table Rowan put you through. I'd thank you for the cheap plug," she added, turning him back around and hugging him gingerly, "but you could just wear it next time, you know."

"That would definitely be more comfortable," Seth agreed, resting his head against hers for a minute. "Because I gotta say it didn't make the landing any softer."

"I'll forward your complaint to the merchandise department," Becky quipped, gently sliding an arm around his waist and urging him forward. "C'mon. To Medical you go. If I had to, you have to. Them's the rules, remember?"

Seth was still catching his breath as he thought back to Becky's match. "Why did you—oh, right. Your arm. It was bleeding during your interview. . . ." He tried to twist around to look at it, but Becky kept it hooked around his waist.

"It's fine. I already went to Medical. You were busy with Crown Jewel stuff." Then she patted his side. "Longest match of the night. Congratulations."

"Can't be that much longer than yours was." They were almost at Medical, so Seth ducked his head and whispered, "Besides, I know you like to finish first."

It took Becky a moment to catch the quip, but when she did she almost shoved him. "There are a lot of things I could say to that," she replied, half her words cloaked in laughter, "but I'm trying to be a supportive girlfriend right now."

"Fiancee." It was an automatic correction for Seth now, even though he usually called her wife. Some interviewers had called him out on it, asking if they were already secretly married; he just loved the sound of it, the concept. "But I appreciate it. I'm sure it's fine—"

"Them's the rules," Becky repeated, shaking her head as she opened the door to Medical and held it for him. It was probably Seth's imagination, but the doctor seemed to pale a bit upon seeing Becky; maybe she had been a handful when she had her arm looked at. "Yeah, I still have the bandage on." Rolling her eyes, Becky turned her right arm to face the doctor, allowing Seth to see the gauze taped above her elbow.

"Good. Now we just have to make sure you're in fighting form for Thursday, Seth. . . ." While Becky lingered by the door, the doctor put Seth through his paces, checking the range of motion in his arms and shoulders before moving on to the abrasions. "No major complaints?"

Seth hesitated. An injury could take him off the Crown Jewel card, but he wasn't about to start playing sick just so he could spend more time with Becky. "Just sore in general. Nothing a little ice and rest won't fix."

"Hm." The doctor riffled through a kit of bandages, but came up empty-handed. "Some of your cuts are in awkward places. Most of these would pull off too easily. I'll go see what else we have in the big kit."

After the doctor left the room, Becky came up behind Seth and kissed the nape of his neck. "This doesn't mean you get to top by default, you know. I'm still pissed about my Halloween treats." Her plans to stay at his place and host an all-women's Halloween party while the men's roster was at Crown Jewel had fallen through: a few women were going to Saudi Arabia as well, in hopes that they would be allowed to compete; then there was a six-woman tag match scheduled for Friday Night SmackDown, and none of those women wanted the additional travel. She had an offer to participate in some fitness events in Dubai, though, so it wasn't as if Becky was going to be bored. Having her be so relatively close and yet not being together was going to be strange, though.