NaNoWriMo Story Snippets

5. Becky's birthday 2019 (Flames out-take)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is an unfinished (and abandoned) Flames out-take for Becky's birthday in 2019. I started it, but it wasn't going anywhere, mostly because I kept questioning things. Seth and Becky have been friends for years, for example, so why would Seth knowing when Becky's birthday is be a surprise? I'm keeping some parts of this (so don't be surprised to see it in an eventual version), and the final version will be more based on what we know of real life (chronology wise, anyway) than my original FLAMES interpretation.

And unlike Seth Rollins, I don't need much time to think. Had she said his name differently during her promo? Becky didn't think so, but she had rewatched the clip so many times now that the words no longer made sense. Running on too much adrenaline and not enough sleep—both courtesy of Royal Rumble the night before—was bad enough. But somehow over the course of the Royal Rumble weekend, she and Seth had kissed and every time she tried to pinpoint how or why, her brain shuffled a new possibility into the mix. Had he helped her with the bags in the hotel? Had they both just learned they were slated to win their respective Rumble matches? They'd known each other for almost six years, so what had suddenly changed? Every time she tried to hone in on the moment, the memory skittered away from her. Maybe the 'how' and the 'why' don't matter. Her inner voice sounded suspiciously like her father's. Maybe it's enough that it happened.

"Hey."

Even though the voice was low and hesitant, Becky still nearly jumped out of her shoes. Turning around to see Seth standing there didn't help her heart settle down either. Was he standing closer to her than he usually did? Stop overanalyzing everything! she told herself. Squaring her shoulders, she focussed on her breathing for a moment. "Hi."

Everything else around them made noise: crew members bustling here and there, wrestlers talking to loved ones on their phones, equipment carts being trundled into place as Monday Night RAW started to wind down. The two of them, though, were ensnared in a silence that, rather than being awkward, was far more comfortable than it had any right to be.

Then Becky, true to form, burst out laughing, pressing a hand to her mouth not only to muffle herself but also to try banishing the memory of that kiss on the weekend. Maybe she couldn't remember the exact setting or the context, but the feeling of Seth's lips on hers and the way his fingers curled against her back were vivid beyond belief. "Hi. Yeah, so we should talk. . . ." Oh god. This was the exact opposite of what she wanted to happen. Seth was a friend—a good friend, an incredible source of inspiration and advice—and she didn't want to lose that over a kiss.

"Your birthday's this week, right? On the thirtieth?" Seth tucked some hair behind his ear, but the curl popped right back out again and Becky had to clasp her hands behind her back so she didn't reach for it.

Seth's questions made her pause. He hadn't really replied to what she'd said—or started to say, to be fair. But he had remembered her birthday, which was better than nothing. Having a January birthday often meant getting lost in the shuffle of a new year and people trying to maintain new habits and resolutions. "Yeah, on Wednesday," she nodded. Then she gestured at one of the Royal Rumble posters that hadn't been taken down yet. "So I guess the weekend was like an early birthday present."

It took Becky a moment to realize how he might take that and she started to shift her gaze when she noticed something else: Seth hadn't taken his eyes off her since she had turned around to face him. But the only way she could have known that for sure, of course, was if she also hadn't taken her eyes off him. . . .

"Yeah. So . . . any plans?" Seth leaned against the wall and fidgeted with the strap of his fanny pack that he had slung diagonally across his chest. "Charlotte's probably taking you out for a girls' night or something, right?"

Becky shook her head. "We'll probably do something on Tuesday after SmackDown," she replied, "but she already had plans for the rest of the week." She tried not to let her disappointment seep into her voice. It would have been awesome to celebrate her Rumble victory with her closest friend, but she quietly suspected Charlotte was dating again. With a shrug she hoped was convincing, she added, "There's not that much to do on Wednesdays anyway. I'll probably just call home and talk with my parents for a bit and end up doing something with the girls on the weekend, maybe."

"Extending the celebration. That's good too." Seth's nod was slow and absent-minded, almost putting Becky in mind of Dean Ambrose, and after a few moments of silence, she figured Seth had lost his train of thought and was going to wander away. He straightened up, though, breaking eye contact for the first time since they'd started talking. "Well, is there anything you wanted to do? I've got an interview in the morning," he added quickly, almost as if he didn't want to seem too eager, "but if there was something you had your heart set on . . . I mean, it's your birthday, right? You should get to do something you want."

"Coffee's good," Becky blurted. "I mean, now that you're going to have your own coffee shop, you must know something about good coffee. . . ."

Seth gave her a lopsided grin. "I'd better," he replied, "or else Cesaro won't let me hear the end of it. Sure. Coffee sounds great."