Road to Wrestlemania 2020: A Buddy Murphy Fanfiction

November 6th - Smackdown

"Have fun," Murphy whispered playfully as he passed me. He had just walked back through the curtain, coming back from being out with Allayah when they interrupted Seth's match. His hand grazed mine as he kept walking. I scanned him up and down as he walked away. He was wearing a tight black shirt that his muscles were nearly bursting out of. I truly appreciated it.

I turned my attention to the monitor. The other three women were in the ring, waiting for the bell. My music played and I walked out.

I stood at the base of the ramp as Natalya and Ruby Riot and Zelina battled in the ring. I placed my hands on my hips and looked on. Before the match, I was named Captain of the Survivor Series team. Each of the women kept pausing to look at me before doing a big move. Trying to impress me. Natalya had already gotten thrown out of the ring because of it. And Zelina had gotten laid out twice now.

Natalya went for a Sharpshooter on Zelina. Ruby slid in the ring and got the pin.

I nodded approvingly at her then walked back up the ramp while she celebrated.

Seth and Otis were waiting when I broke back through the curtain. Murphy was leaning against the back wall, looking down at Aalyah. She was talking steadily. Murphy looked like he was trying to pay attention. His eyes swept over the room and landed on me. I smiled at him and he straightened.

Aalyah pressed her mouth into a flat line as she looked me over. She glanced up at Murphy then back to me. I tried to not read into that and just smiled at her.

"I got to go anyway." She said then looked pointedly back up at Murphy. "See you in a bit."

I stared after her, "Is she okay?"

"I think so. She has seemed a little weird tonight though."

"She looked like she was mad I walked out."

"I don't think she was mad." Murphy said and grabbed my hand. Seth's music played throughout the Thunderdome. "I'm going to have to go in a minute. But congrats, Captain."

"Thank you," I said and tried to get lost in his eyes so that I could shake the gnawing feeling about Aalyah's attitude toward me. "Are you really turning back tonight?"

Murphy sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, for now."

"This storyline is giving me whiplash." I tried to laugh.

Murphy nodded, "you and me both. I like it, but I'm so tired of the back and forth."

"Me too." I said. "I wish that it was just over, honestly."

"At least the part with Aalyah?"

"Did you hear Michael Cole call you her boyfriend earlier?" I asked, only looking up through my eyelashes.

Murphy nodded slowly, "It sounded...weird."

"Like my worst nightmare." I mumbled.

"Murphy!" A producer whisper-shouted causing us both to look up. Murphy's music played and he kissed the top of my head before disappearing through the curtain.

I went to the screening room to watch Seth's match. Really, I was watching Murphy. He was standing stoically outside of the ring as Seth and Otis went back and forth. Seth was tossed out and looked at Murphy in fear. Murphy never moved. After a few minutes, Otis went for the caterpillar. Murphy jumped on the apron to stop him.

I looked down at my phone. I didn't need to watch the rest of the match to know that Seth was going to win because of Murphy's interference.

Aalyah's voice on screen made me look back up. Murphy had just rejoined Seth, and now Aalyah was pushing him and yelling about how she'd trusted him and defended him to her family.

He looked back at her desperately and grabbed her hands. My stomach dropped. He had looked at me like that a few weeks ago. The night he told me he loved me.

"I know what I'm doing. Okay? But I need you to trust me."

My heart sank with my stomach. He had said the exact thing to me right before telling me he loved me. The lines between story and reality were blurring again. I resisted the burning sensation running through me. I resisted the thought that he knew that he had said the same things to me. He was given a script. They wrote it for him, I told myself as I pushed away the idea that maybe they didn't script their words tonight.

But the truth kept rising back up: Creative rarely scripts every word we say.

"Hey,"

I jumped as Murphy sat down beside me. "Hey,"

"Do you have to stay the rest of the night?"

I half-shrugged and looked down at my phone. "I don't know. I can go see though."

"I'm released. If you are too then we can go home early."

I looked up at Murphy and tried to smile. He seemed worried, but didn't ask if I was okay. Which I was thankful for. I was so tired of being asked that.

"I'll go ask. I'm ready to get away from everyone." I said.

"Me too." he said.

I stood up and turned toward the door. Dominik walked in. I looked down to the ground. I had avoided him since he kissed me. It was the last thing I wanted to be reminded about or have to talk about.

Suddenly, I felt Murphy pressing against me. "I think I'll come with you."

I looked up at him. He was glaring at Domink who was staring at his phone even though it didn't look like it was even lit up.

"Sure," I said and reached for Murphy. I wrapped my arm tightly around his and started walking.

Once we were out of the room and down the hallway a few feet, I bumped Murphy with my shoulder. "Who's jealous now?"

Murphy smirked, but this was not backed by his usual light and happy arrogance. This smirk was just a few shades shy of a grimace. "Yeah, well...It's not like anyone has kissed me because they actually like mel."

"It could still happen." I said. My stomach twisted into a knot as I remembered the hard look that Aalyah had given me earlier.

"Aalyah doesn't like me, not like that." Murphy said.

"I think Aalyah might be getting her reality and storyline mixed up." I said then pressed my lips together until they were just a flat lone. I hadn't meant to say anything. Afterall, I wasn't the best at seeing clearly around this storyline.

Murphy stopped walking, pulling me to a halt with him. He turned to face me and placed his hands in mine, but I pulled mine away. It was too close to how he'd held onto Aalyah earlier. Instead, I guided his hands to my waist and intertwined my fingers behind his neck.

He pulled me in closer and whispered, "She doesn't. This is just our job right now."

I nodded, "I know." I took a deep breath. "But,"

"No. Even if she did, I don't want her. I want you and only you, Hannah."

"Such a charmer." I whispered.

He shook his head, "I love you."

"And I love you." I said. "So you don't need to be jealous or even give a though to Dominik. He has no chance with me. He knows that."

Murphy nodded and pulled me ever closer so that I was flush against his chest, "Good. Even if I'd love for him to give me a reason to kick his ass."

I smirked, "if he ever does, you will be the first to know."

Murphy leaned down and kissed me hard.