Road to Wrestlemania 2020: A Buddy Murphy Fanfiction

Raw: January 27th

"Will you hurry up?" I said. I leaned against the wall near the door of Murphy's hotel room. I was still firmly pouting about this stupid storyline.

Murphy stopped shoving stuff into his bag and looked over his shoulder at me, "Are you always so impatient?"

"Well, I don't want to be late," I said.

"We won't be."

I huffed and crossed my arms, causing him to look back at me and roll his eyes. I made a face back at him as though I was five years old. The air grew tense around me and I knew that it was my own annoyance. I tried to envision a place, anywhere but here: a cliffside came into focus in my mind. There were scarce trees around the cliff's edge and rushing water below. It was a rough and jagged cliffside that ended 30 feet above the water. The sunshine was hot, creating a steamy atmosphere. Me, in my head, walked to the edge of the cliff to look down. I had rather jump than be in this storyline with Murphy.

"I'm ready."

Murphy's Australian accent jarred me from my thoughts causing me to snap my head to him. I grabbed my neck as it cracked from the sudden movement. I was still recovering from the Royal Rumble the night before.

"Are you okay?" he raised his eyebrows at me.

"I'm great. Just wishing for a cliff." I groaned.

"Fine. Let's go. Maybe we can find you one on the way." He said and walked past me, out the door.

I'm sure most people didn't mind Murphy. He was probably charming to any other person but me. Most probably never got past the charm and Australian accent to see the arrogance. The man walked around like he owned every building he walked into. All. The. Damn. Time.

"Did you get the script for today?" He asked as he slid into the passenger side of my rental car.

"Yep," I sighed.

After a long, awkward few minutes of driving, he turned back toward me. "You know, I don't like this any more than you do."

"Glad we got that settled," I said, never taking my eyes off the road.

"What is your problem?" he asked.

"I don't have a problem."

His leg was bouncing furiously, but I ignored him. Murphy being irritated was the least of my concerns. He didn't speak for the rest of the short ride to the arena. It was a blissful few minutes.

"What time do you usually leave the shows?" Murphy asked as we pulled our bags out of the back.

"It depends. Usually right as the show is ending."

"Okay, well, I'm in the main event tonight."

"Of course you are." I sighed. "I won't just leave you if that's what you're asking."

"I wish I believed that." He said on a sharp exhale.

"Okay, happy faces," I said and nodded toward the mob of fans that were waiting behind barricades to watch Superstars enter the arena.

Our faces simultaneously morphed into plastered on smiles as we waved at the fans before heading into the building.

"I'll see you at 6 to film," Murphy said. Then he was gone.

6 p.m

"Oh look you're on time," Murphy said as I walked into the staging area.

I looked down at the time on my phone, worried that I might actually be late: 5:57. I rolled my eyes up at Murphy. "I do my job."

"Okay," a producer clapped loudly. "Hannah, Charli will be interviewing you. Murphy, you will enter from the left."

We all nodded. Charli shoved her phone into the back pocket of her skintight black pants and stepped up beside me.

"Hannah, congratulations! Last night, you were the Women's Royal Rumble winner." Charli started off. "And now the question on everyone's mind is...who will you be challenging at Wrestlemania?"

"Thank you, Charli. I just..." I started then Murphy walked up into the shot. I smiled as wide as I could manage up at him.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said. "Hannah Rae, I just wanted to say congratulations on winning last night."

"Thanks," I said as he nodded once at me and back out of the shot. I wrapped up the interview then the producer called cut.

"You know," Murphy said as he fell into step beside me as I headed down the hallway. "You aren't so bad when you aren't giving me a bitch face."

"You aren't so bad when you're not talking."

Murphy chuckled, "this is going to be a long-ass storyline."

"You ain't lying," I sighed.

"I'm not really that bad, am I?" He asked. There was something in his voice that caused me to glance up at him. Something...worried? Or sad? No, that's ridiculous.

"I guess that depends on who you ask."

"So, I guess I shouldn't ask you."

"Probably not a good idea, no." I said. Mercifully, we arrived at the women's locker room so I was able to escape this conversation. I grabbed the doorknob. "See ya later,"

The rest of the night went by much easier. I had a match against Asuka. Which was fine. It wasn't the best match I'd ever had, but it also wasn't the worst. I was still hurting from last night, but got the win anyway.

I watched the rest of the show from the screening room.

"There you are," Lacey said as she plopped into the chair next to me.

"I haven't been hiding." I laughed.

"I've been looking for you for like fifteen minutes."

"Why didn't you just text me?"

"I didn't really think about it," she said. "How are things going with Murphy?"

Well, she never was much for small talk.

"I haven't killed him yet, but it's not even been 24 hours."

"He's pretty cool," she said.

"Yeah, he's so great." My tone was nothing but sarcasm.

"Why don't you like him?"

"Who says I don't?"

She gave me an unamused look. "It's obvious. When he and Alexa were together, you wouldn't even talk to her if he was around."

I shrugged. "He just bothers me. He's selfish and arrogant and borderline narcissistic."

"So you mean he's a wrestler?" she laughed.

"I guess so," I said and turned back to the screen.

It was already the main event. I watched as Seth and Murphy worked together seamlessly. Murphy, for as much as he grated on my nerves, was a great wrestler. Better than he was given credit for most of the time. Once Seth got the pin, I headed to the spot Murphy and I had agreed to meet. And waited.

"Finally," I said dramatically when he walked up ten minutes later.

"Sorry," he quipped. "Being in the main event is so annoying."

I grinned up at him before I realized what I was doing. He may only be 5'11, but I was only 5'2 so he was still tall to me. Murphy smiled down at me for a nanosecond.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yeah let's go."

He nodded too. "Kay."

And the awkwardness begins again.