Flames

Follow the Leader, part 1

There was no way Survivor Series wouldn't be a mess. Some of the invasions had been so packed with people that it was hard to tell who you were supposed to be fighting. NXT was almost always getting the upper hand and Seth could understand why: with the formerly developmental brand moving not only to network television, but scheduled at the same time as a fierce competitor, the brass wanted the show to shine. It didn't mean it wasn't frustrating for everyone else, though.

"We had our invasion days too," Becky remarked as they arrived at the arena. "When you and The Shield first debuted, you were unbeatable. When Charlotte and I were brought up, we were meant to be centerpieces of the women's evolution." She said the last with a hint of wistfulness, making Seth glance over. Ever since losing U2D2 to Cesaro, she had been more introspective, though not entirely quiet; he wasn't sure if that was even possible for Becky. "Now we're on the other side of the table."

"I suppose," Seth allowed, parking closer in than usual. Normally he didn't mind the extra walk, since it gave him time to talk with Becky or catch up with other wrestlers, but he had a feeling he was going to want a quick exit after what was going to be a long night. "It doesn't mean they have to blow us out of the water, though."

After leaning across the console to kiss him, Becky hopped out of the SUV and headed for the back. "I'm pretty sure The Shield was running roughshod for a few months before you three showed any real weakness." Before Seth could reach for any bags, she hugged him tightly. "At least you have absolutely nothing to do with The Fiend tonight. That's a bonus, right?"

Seth rolled his eyes. "Except Daniel will actually get to have a good match with him. They've built it up; they have history. So I'm going to get slammed from two angles: losing the Survivor Series match and having Daniel Bryan do my job better than I did." He still leaned into the embrace, though; Becky could almost always help him calm down just by being there. Resting his chin on her head, he rocked their joined bodies back and forth for a moment, like awkward teenagers at a school dance.

"This is starting to sound a lot like Dolph's It should have been me phase," Becky replied as she stepped back. "Do I smell a heel turn happening?"

He didn't use his evil cackle laugh, but it was tempting. "Maybe. We'll see." Sometimes Creative didn't like the wrestlers to reveal their upcoming arcs even to spouses and partners so the effect was even more genuine, but Seth wasn't entirely sure about what they were planning, let alone if he would be allowed to tell Becky. For as long as they had been dating, neither of them had gone through a major shift that require complete secrecy, so he wasn't sure how they would handle it when it inevitably happened. Aside from some acts like The New Day, Creative seemed to like switching up allegiances and alignments, sometimes at random.

Now it was Becky's turn for an eye roll. "Great. Now my Twitter's going to be full of Becky, come collect your boy before he gets himself in trouble. Well, at least I have some warning, I guess. . . ." She gave him a peck on the cheek as she gathered her bags. "So does that mean this is our last matchy-matchy night?"

Since their relationship angle on television hadn't gone over as well as the bosses had hoped, he and Becky had often tried to match elements of their gear so they could be in the ring together at least in spirit. His Survivor Series gear was all red, honouring the Chicago Bulls, but Becky had stuck with her tried-and-true black, adding red accents instead. "I'm pretty sure Maryse would slap us both if we tried to do matching heel gear," Seth laughed. After he got his bags and shut the door, he kissed the top of Becky's head. "How do you do it? How do you not let all the negativity get to you? I know I keep asking you—"

Becky's answering smile was tinged with regret. "And I keep trying to think of an answer that would work for you, and I don't think there is one. What I think, what I do . . . I don't think it's a solution for you. I think it would do more harm than good, and I don't want that. No one does." Her hands were full, so she bumped his arm with her shoulder. "I don't know if it would help you to see Seth Rollins as a character, something you can step away from after work. I mean, you know I'm not like 'The Man' outside of the ring—"